


I Want You To Be My Acrobat

by Worthfull1



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Romance, Sirius Black Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-03-29 00:39:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 67
Words: 215,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3875875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Worthfull1/pseuds/Worthfull1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Can Jeannie Jones, best friend to Nymphadora Tonks and one-time one-weekend-stand to Remus Lupin remind Sirius Black what it's like to live and feel? She's sure as hell gonna try!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting Professor Lupin

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: This is going to be a SB/OC story, but there is a dash of RL/OC in the beginning. Our story starts during PoA and will follow the story pretty closely until the end of OotP. I confess to being a bit obsessed with our two favourite Marauders and in my mind, they not only lived through the war, but had much bigger roles than Ms. Rowling showed us. I have several other stories started in notebooks and bits of hotel paper ( all variations on a Marauder theme ), but I decided to start with this one because 1) I have several chapters already written, and outlines for even more, and 2) I wanted to jump in at the deep end. This is my first fanfiction, and let me warn you ahead of time, it will be long. In fact I am already in the planning stages of a sequel. Not much of the big events will be changed with the exception of Sirius dying. I actually cried when the book first came out and have been in 'sirius' denial ever since. Other than that, things stay the same. Dumbledore will leave us on schedule and the final battle will still happen. If you want details, however, your going to have to read.
> 
> Thank you, Worthfull!
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable is the lovely J.K. Rowling's. Also, I do not own Elton John's 'Little Jeannie', I just thought the title was fitting. I make no money here.

Jeannie Jones felt nervous as she approached the front gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It had only been a little over two years since she last set foot on the grounds, but it might as well have been a lifetime. How things had changed! If she hadn't been there to see it for herself, she may not have believed it. The once open, welcoming gates of Hogwarts were now closed - locked against the threat of Sirius Black with Dementors of all creatures guarding the entrance. She had heard stories over the summer that the Minister of Magic wanted to deploy the Dementors to search for the Azkaban escapee, but she never thought that meant placing them in close proximity to school children.

Jeannie was just a bit horrified by this. She had never had to deal directly with Dementors before, but she certainly knew what they were. Soul-sucking monsters whose only purpose in life was misery and despair. About a million times worse than any boggart, in her opinion. The air around her began to get colder and colder the closer she got to the gates. She almost wished she still had the company of the large black mutt that had followed her from Hogsmeade until she took pity on him and gave him her leftovers from lunch. He had abandoned her shortly afterwards- she figured he didn't like the Dementors any more than she did. She couldn't blame him.

As she walked up to the gates, she was grateful for the large wolf Patronus that was keeping the Dementors at bay. Looking just past the gates she saw a tall, thin man with patched robes and greying sandy-brown hair. When she got close enough, she could see that he was fairly young - early thirties maybe - and very handsome. He was about 6'4" - much taller than her meager 5 feet - and his blue eyes were flecked with amber. This puzzled her for a moment, but as she noticed his scars she realized that the man in front of her was a werewolf. She was not put out by this - having been raised on the fringes of society, she had come into contact with many 'creatures' and had nothing but sympathy for this man.

"Are you Professor Lupin?" she asked.

He nodded. "Remus. Miss Jones?"

"Yes, Jeannie," she said, holding out her hand.

Remus shook her hand and opened the gates for her. "Dumbledore asked me to tell you that the others are already here and to escort you to the Great Hall," he said, closing the gates behind her.

"Thanks. I remember the way, but I won't say no to company right now," she replied, eyeing the Dementors.

"They are awful," Lupin agreed, directing his Patronus to circle them until they got closer to the castle. He looked at Jeannie. "Have you been here before?"

"Yes, I did 5th, 6th, and 7th year here. I transferred from the Academy in California."

"Ah," said Remus, smiling. "I thought you sounded American."

"My accent is okay, but I much prefer yours," she said, winking at him teasingly.

Remus blushed and stuttered. "Umm... thank you."

Jeannie laughed. "You're not used to being flirted with, are you?"

He smiled shyly at her. "Ah, no, I have to admit, it's been a while."

Jeannie laughed again and nudged him with her elbow. He seemed surprised by the physical contact, but didn't say anything about it as they continued their friendly banter all the way to the Great Hall .

"Well, Jeannie," said Remus, stopping just outside the doors to the Great Hall. "This is where I leave you."

"Would you like to come in for a sneak peek?" she asked him, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I'm afraid I can't, I have a class in a few minutes. Perhaps later?" he suggested, grinning.

"Sure, Remus. Hey, when is your last class of the day?"

"Today, it's 4 pm. Why?"

"Would you mind if I sat in? I won't cause any trouble, I promise," she said, winking at him again.

Remus' cheeks went slightly pink as he answered her. "Sure, if you'd like."

"Great. 4 pm," said Jeannie, flashing him one more smile before heading into the Great Hall.

* * *

 

At 3:50 that afternoon, Jeannie knocked on the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and, after getting no answer, let herself in. She looked around the room and wondered what sort of lesson it had been. Chairs had been thrown across the room and a few desks had been blown apart. There were books with large chunks of pages ripped out and even a few gouges in the stone walls. She thought she saw smoke coming from one of the blasted desks and there were scorch marks everywhere. Jeannie was surveying the wreckage when Remus walked in. He looked up and smiled at her.

"Hi," he said. "I just had the 7th years. We were practicing dueling."

"Ah," Jeannie nodded. "That makes sense."

Remus chuckled. "Yes, well, I've got the 6th years next. Would you mind giving me a hand?" he asked, eying the mess.

"Sure," she said.

They had just put the finishing touches on the classroom when the first students arrived. It was a group of boys whose eyes went wide when they recognized Jeannie.

"Wow, Professor," said one of them, "you know Jeannie Jones?"

Remus glanced at Jeannie before answering. "Yes, I do. Is that surprising?"

One of the boys was rummaging through his schoolbag and Jeannie thought she knew where this was going. Sure enough, the boy pulled out the latest issue of Sophisticated Sorcery that had her most recent interview and photoshoot. The magazine was hardly anything that anyone could consider smut - in fact, it really lived up to the claim of 'sophisticated' - but Jeannie was a bit of a sex symbol, so she wasn't surprised that the boys had it. Even though she was fully clothed in every picture.

"Miss Jones," he said shyly, "would you sign my magazine for me, please?"

"What sort of magazine is that?" Remus asked, grinning.

Jeannie rolled her eyes. "Just an interview I did not too long ago. Pretty tame stuff, but it did have some good photos." She turned to the boys. "Tell you what, guys, show me which picture is your favorite and I'll make a copy of it and sign it for you. How's that?"

Remus and Jeannie both chuckled at the chorus of "thank you's" that followed. The rest of the students made their way in as Jeannie was signing autographs.

"Wow - is that - "

"I think it is - "

"Is it really - Jeannie Jones!"

Remus leaned toward Jeannie. "If I had know you were this famous, I might have wanted an autograph, too."

Jeannie couldn't say what she was thinking in front of the students ('Play your cards right and I'll give you more than an autograph'), so she settled for winking at him again and making him blush. It was easy to make Remus blush, and Jeannie was quickly becoming an expert.

"Alright people," she said, getting the class' attention when she had finished the boys' pictures. "If anyone else wants an autograph, they can come see me after class."

At this point, Remus stood up to start the lesson. "As you can see, we have a guest in the classroom today - Miss Jeannie Jones - and I'm sure you will all be on your best behavior. Perhaps, if the lesson ends early, she may answer a few questions for you?" He looked at Jeannie and she nodded. "Alright, let's begin."

Lupin began his lesson, and Jeannie could see immediately that this man was a born teacher. She found herself wishing that he had been teaching when she was in school. He had a natural way of dealing with the students and never failed to condense a lengthy explanation into something a teenager could grasp. She also liked the way he made the lesson both academic and practical at the same time. He would introduce a new topic or spell and, after explaining the basic properties, he would request a volunteer to help him act it out.

Jeannie also found herself watching the way he moved about the class, checking notes or correcting wand movement as needed. She had noticed when they met at the front gates that Lupin was handsome, and she was perfectly happy to sit at the back of his classroom with nothing to do but watch him move. He walked like a predator - which she knew was not uncommon for his kind, especially if they had been infected young - and always seemed to sense the objects around him, not once tripping or bumping into anything.

He caught her watching him once, raising an eyebrow and colouring slightly, but Jeannie just smiled at him. She had never been shy and didn't have a problem with Lupin knowing that she was checking him out. His robes were patched and frayed in some places and had clearly seen better days, but Jeannie didn't care about that. She was watching the way his body moved underneath the layers. She was willing to bet that Lupin was quite the man under those stuffy professor's robes. In all honesty, his personality alone was enough to attract her, but Jeannie truly appreciated a well-formed body. Her background gave her a certain expertise in physicality, and she could tell just by watching Lupin move that his body would be just as pleasing as his mind.

* * *

 

Jeannie really enjoyed Lupin's class and told him so at dinner, earning herself another blush. She was really going to have to start keeping count of those. Dumbledore had created another place at the Head Table for her that put her in between Lupin and Hagrid. Upon seeing Hagrid enter the Great Hall, Jeannie had broken into a run and launched herself at his enormous frame knowing that, as always, he would catch her. And he did, pulling her into a hug but being careful not to crush her. Hagrid had always been very gentle with Jeannie and her friends. She had shown no fear of him when she first met him and, because of that, he had always been very fond of her.

"Did Hagrid tell you he's teaching now?" asked Remus as he poured himself some wine.

Jeannie whipped around to see a blushing Hagrid grinning at her. "Ooh, Hagrid, what subject?" she asked excitedly.

"Care of Magical Creatures," he answered proudly. "I can't believe it myself, really."

"Ooh, can I sit in on a class tomorrow?" Jeannie asked, almost bouncing in her seat.

Hagrid looked at her, puzzled, while Remus chuckled behind her. "I s'pose, if you want to."

Jeannie squealed and Lupin laughed. "What is it about sitting in that you like so much?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she said, shrugging. "Once a Ravenclaw, always a Ravenclaw I guess."

Remus nodded and they went back to their food. As the students finished supper and started to leave, Remus and Jeannie walked out of the Great Hall together and Remus escorted her back to her guest rooms, keeping up the conversation the whole way. He seemed genuinely interested in her, so she told him all about her childhood in the circus. She had been abandoned as an infant at the circus and had grown up as an acrobat, traveling all over the world. Then, not long after leaving Hogwarts, she had become interested in music and dance. She left the circus and decided to put together a revue. Jeannie knew she had something good with this new venture and was itching to unleash it onto the world. This concert at Hogwarts was to be her first and as Remus assured her that she would be brilliant, she was once again reminded of what an attractive man he was. He had a kind, reassuring way about him.

When they reached her door, Jeannie turned to him and wished him good night before slipping into her room. Remus sighed and made his way to his own rooms regretting more than ever his condition. Here was a woman he could be interested in, but if she ever found out about him, she'd run for sure. Meanwhile, Jeannie was in her room thinking about how she could convince Remus to spend tomorrow night with her. It wasn't something she normally did, but there was no denying the attraction went both ways. Jeannie had caught Lupin sneaking glances at her all through dinner, and since she was only there for the weekend, she wanted to make the most of it. She decided to corner him after the concert and simply not take no for an answer. She'd make sure he couldn't resist her.


	2. The After-Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Like I said last chapter, this will be SB/OC, so I'm getting the RL/OC out of the way fairly quickly. There is smut in the next couple of chapters, but that will have to tide you over for a while because the SB/OC is going to be a bit of a slow burn. Also, please review! I'd love to know what you think.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing. Anything recognizable belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling.

The concert went off without a hitch, just as Jeannie had hoped. The band was great, the dancers were on point and the students loved it. They did several easy songs at the beginning for the younger kids, before Dumbledore sent them to bed, then got into the heavier stuff for the older students. Jeannie danced her way across the Head Table and wound up sandwiched between the Weasley twins. She was a little surprised that Dumbledore let her get away with that, but as it was only the older kids left, he must have decided that it wouldn't scar them for life.

Remus, meanwhile, had been asked to maintain a presence along the perimeter of the Great Hall. He was supposed to be keeping an eye out for snogging teenagers, but he suspected that Professor "Meddle-dore" was really giving him the treat of watching Jeannie's show. He wasn't going to complain as she was truly fantastic to watch. Her circus training had made her incredibly lithe and her body seemed to glide across the stage - and table - and dance-floor... and now Remus' mind was drifting into dangerous territory. He had been awoken twice the previous night by a very vivid dream that seemed to be coming true as he suddenly noticed Jeannie coming towards him. The party was over and the students had been sent to bed. Remus was only vaguely aware of this, however, because Jeannie was coming towards him. He really needed to get a hold of himself.

"Hi," she said, noticing his somewhat blank stare.

"I told you you'd be brilliant," he said, recovering quickly.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," said Jeannie, watching the last of the students leave the Great Hall. She turned back to Remus, sizing him up. The adrenaline from the concert hadn't worn off and now that there was a sexy man in reach, she found herself horny as hell. All she had to figure out was how to go in for the kill. "How long will it take you to see the rest of the students to bed and do your security checks?" she asked him.

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Um, I'm not sure. Maybe half an hour. Why?"

Jeannie stepped slightly closer to him so she could look up at him seductively. "Meet me in your classroom for a nightcap in half an hour?"

She watched in amusement as his face registered his shock at her blatantly propositioning him. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly. Then he seemed to recover and nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Jeannie smiled at him and walked away, presumably to her rooms to freshen up. As he watched her go, he realized what he had just agreed to. Panic gripped him momentarily as he debated whether or not he should tell her about himself.

_No_ , he thought, _she just wants to have a drink and talk a bit before going to bed._

_Yeah, your bed,_ the treacherous part of his brain that was ruled by his cock added.

Remus closed his eyes and composed himself before going about his duties for the night. He escorted the rest of the lingering students to their respective dorms and made his way around the various security checkpoints. This part of his job was always hard for him. He wondered, for the millionth time, if he should come clean to Dumbledore and tell him what he knew about Sirius. He almost had on numerous occasions, but something always stopped him. Conscience or cowardice, he couldn't be sure, but the result was always the same. He kept his mouth shut every time.

Remus finished his rounds and started making his way to his classroom, each step he took bringing a new wave of anxiety. He was terrified of telling her about the wolf, but at the same time he knew he would feel guilty later if he took her to bed without telling her. On the other hand, what would happen if she got his shirt off and asked about his scars? Could she recognize werewolf scars on sight? Not many could, but he really didn't know that much about her.

That realization alone made him feel like a lech. What right did he have to let anything happen - even a one night stand - without knowing much more than her name? Remus had never been that kind of man - he let guys like Sirius do that sort of thing. Also, even if he didn't know much about her, he felt she should have the right to refuse him because of is ailment. He knew he couldn't take her choices away from her like that.

These thoughts - and all other rational thinking - stopped completely when he opened the door to his classroom. Jeannie had gotten there first and had already created the scene. She had lit only about half the lamps in the room, giving everything a shadowy, seductive glow and she herself was perched right on top of his desk.

There she was, wearing a short dress and somehow managing to hide her panties from his view even while sitting Indian style. Next to her was a bottle of Champagne and she held a full glass in each hand. She offered him one and, as if obeying an unspoken command, he walked over to her and took the glass, flicking his wand to close and lock the door as he did so. They clinked their glasses together and each took a sip.

"Aren't you going to congratulate me?" she asked him.

"Congratulations," he said automatically.

"Thank you," she said, grinning at him.

"I don't think this is a good idea," he blurted out.

Jeannie raised her eyebrows calmly as if she half-expected him to put up a fight. "Why not?" she asked. "Got a girlfriend?"

Remus snorted. "No."

"Are you gay?"

"Hardly," he answered, smiling slightly.

"I didn't thin so. Are you sick?"

He paused. "Sort of," he said, not volunteering anymore.

"Alright," Jeannie said, putting down her glass. "Is it terminal?"

"No."

"Is it contagious?"

Remus paused again. "Not at the moment," he answered truthfully.

Jeannie nodded and looked him dead in the eye. "Is it Lycanthropy?" she asked softly.

Remus paled and his grip on the glass of Champagne tightened. He hadn't expected her to get there so soon, despite her telling him that she had been in Ravenclaw, and it shocked him. For her part, Jeannie remained calm. She could see the fear and shame and pain written all over his face. She gently took the glass from his hand and set it next to her own on the desk, moving slowly as he looked as if he might bolt from the room at any moment. She took his hand in both of hers and looked up at him.

"If that's your big secret, Remus," she said quietly, "I already knew." He simply stared at her. "I knew the minute we met that you were a werewolf." His hand twitched in hers at hearing the word. "It doesn't change anything. It doesn't change what I want."

"And what might that be?" Remus asked hoarsely.

"Right now, tonight, I want you," she said, releasing his hand. Remus watched as she rose up onto her knees, wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his. She kissed him softly at first, not wanting to scare him off, but as he closed his eyes and leaned into her, she increased the pressure. His lips were soft, but his moustache was slightly scratchy, and Jeannie found herself loving it. She'd tightened her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to deepen the kiss when she felt him pull away.

Remus had nearly lost his sanity when he felt her soft lips and her soft body pressed up against him and had scared himself a little in the process. His breathing was heavier now as he gently unwound her arms from his neck. "Um - ah," he said haltingly, "don't you think we should slow down a bit?"

"No," she said simply, reaching for him again.

Remus took a step back out of her reach and tried again. "Couldn't we go for lunch or something?" he asked as he watched her climb off his desk and start toward him as if he were prey. She smiled darkly at him as she began stalking him around his own classroom, admiring the graceful way he avoided bumping into anything.

"We can eat, if you'd like," she said in a low, seductive voice. "I'll eat you and then you can eat me."

Remus whimpered and glanced at her mouth, briefly imagining her lips wrapped around his cock. The fact that he could smell her arousal wasn't helping the situation in his trousers. He lost track of where he was in the classroom when she suddenly made her move. Shoving him solidly in the chest, he fell back and landed in his desk chair. She pinned him down, planting her hands on his shoulders and a knee on his hip. She smiled at him again before attacking his mouth.

There was nothing slow about it this time as she opened his mouth with hers and thrust her tongue inside. They both groaned at the sensation of tasting each other as Jeannie brought one hand up to fist in his hair and Remus gripped her hips. She adjusted her position so that she was straddling his lap and ground down on his crotch. Remus growled into her mouth in response and this caused her stomach to tighten with desire.

" Ahh " she moaned, breaking away from the kiss and latching her mouth onto his throat. She sucked and nibbled the sensitive skin there until she was sure she'd given him something to cover up in the morning. He whimpered again at her gentle biting and gripped her ass, rubbing her centre against the hard bulge in his pants. Jeannie felt him hesitate slightly when she started unbuttoning his shirt, so she kissed him again for reassurance. When she got through all the buttons, she dipped her head and ran her tongue along some of the scars there. Then she climbed off his lap and got down on her knees on the floor between his legs. Remus stared at her wide-eyed as she went for his belt buckle. She made short work of opening his pants and ran her hands up and down his chest once more before reaching into his trousers.

It was her turn to be amazed as she freed his hard cock from it's fabric prison. He was huge! Long and thick and almost purple with desire, it twitched in her hand as she stared. She wrapped her fingers around him, earning a deep groan from Remus before pumping her hand over him a few times. She locked eyes with Remus and grinned before giving him one solid lick from root to tip. Remus threw his head back with a moan and gripped the armrests of the chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Jeannie flicked her tongue against the head of his cock a few times before closing her lips around it and gently sucking. She knew she wouldn't be able to fit all of him in her mouth, so she focused on the first few inches. Letting Remus' whines and whimpers be her guide, she increased suction while pumping him with one hand. She raked her nails down his chest with the other hand until he began to beg incoherently. He was getting close, so she slipped a hand down to fondle his balls, while continuing to suck and pump him, occasionally flicking her tongue against him.

"Oh, Merlin... Jeannie!" Remus cried, bucking into her mouth. She gently rolled his balls around with her fingers until she felt them begin to tighten. When they did, she went into a frenzy, sucking harder and pumping faster while gripping his sac firmly. "Oh...oh...ah...ah FUCK!" Remus yelled as he came hard into her mouth.

His hips bucked uncontrollably and the muscles in his stomach clenched as he exploded. She took all he gave until she felt him relax. Then she released his cock and waited for him to look at her. When he did, she closed her eyes and swallowed, making sure he saw her enjoying him. Remus watched her little display in utter amazement. He'd never had a blowjob like that before and when she looked at him again with heavy-lidded eyes and a proud little smile on her face, he broke.

His hands suddenly shot out to grip her head as he leaned down and kissed her roughly, forcing his tongue into her mouth and, for the first time, tasting himself on a woman's tongue. It was heady and dirty and absolutely delicious. When he released her, she was dizzy and barely registered the wicked grin on his face as he leaned in close to her.

"My turn"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Uh-oh... Remus' turn! I have a lot of fun writing naughty scenes, but I don't know if I'm actually any good at it, so please let me know what you think.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	3. My Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: A little Remus action here!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Jeannie's eyes widened and she felt herself get even wetter at the almost menacing tone of his voice. Panting slightly, all she could manage was a weak "please" before he suddenly stood, gripped her by the shoulders and yanked her to her feet. He crashed his mouth to hers once again, his moustache burning her lips and backed her up until her backside hit his desk . Remus was so tall that he almost had to crouch to be able to kiss her properly, but he didn't care. He also didn't care that he was defiling his own classroom with his shirt hanging off his shoulders and his pants around his knees. All he cared about was giving Jeannie as much pleasure as she had just given him. With that thought in mind, he shoved his hand under her dress and came into contact with soft lace.

Remus moaned at this discovery and grabbed her ass with both hands, lifting her up and setting her on his desk. He leaned over her, making her lay down, and kissed her once before making his way down her jawline to her neck. He bit and licked at her skin as she ran her hands all over his back and moved seductively underneath him. He kissed his way across her collarbone and moved her dress strap to nip at her shoulder. The dress she wore had buttons all down the front, but they were both too far gone to worry about undoing them properly. Remus raised himself just enough to look at her. Her brown eyes were dark with lust, her lips bruised, her chest heaving and she was flushed all over. He looked her in the eye as he gripped the sides of her dress and yanked. The fabric ripped violently, buttons flying everywhere. Jeannie cried out and arched her back, grinding her wet panties into his quickly re-hardening erection.

By now, Remus was panting heavily as he gazed down at her debauched form. She was pure temptation, lying across his desk with torn clothes, creamy skin and... tattoos! "Wow" he breathed, running his fingers over the one just below her left breast. He also noticed one on her right hip, but he couldn't see either one properly, because her bra and panties were in the way. _These will have to go,_ he thought to himself. He hooked his arms around her back as he sat her upright. He drew the straps of her ruined dress off her shoulders and reached around to undo her bra. This always took him a minute, so he took her mouth again to distract her. Getting the thing unhooked, but not removing it just yet, he laid her back down. He ran his hands down her sides and over her stomach, then down her legs that still clung to his hips, appreciating her form.

Jeannie let him stare at her for a minute, then decided to remind him that she hadn't come yet tonight. She arched her back again, grinding her hips into his and mewled at him to break his reverie. He growled at her in response and she moaned, her stomach tightening again.

"Fuck, Remus," she said breathily. "I love it when you growl. Fucking growl at me."

So he did. He growled at her from somewhere deep in his chest and ground his hips into her soaked pussy.

"Ah...ah... _Remus._ "

Remus had been smelling her arousal since he walked into the classroom and it was beginning to take over his brain. He could smell her now, stronger than ever and he wondered just how little it would take to get her off. He met her eyes and leaned over her body. She thought he was leaning down to kiss her, but he held himself just out of reach. She tried to raise herself up to his mouth, but he growled at her again. This sent shivers through her as she laid back down obediently. Never in a million years would she have expected Remus to be dominant, but he clearly had something in mind. He deliberately braced his arms on either side of her head, maintaining eye contact with her. She was so focused on his face, that she hadn't noticed this new angle brought his pelvis flush against her clit. Remus noticed, however, and smiled darkly at her as he rolled his hips slightly.

"Oh, fuck yes, Remus!" Jeannie cried out at the delicious friction. She had been wanting him for ages now and was unbelievably sensitive. Her body arched up towards him as he did it again. She went to reach for his ass to pull him closer, but he growled at that, so she reached up to grab at his forearms that were braced above her shoulders instead. He seemed fine with that as he began rolling his hips in a rhythm. Jeannie gasped and panted while her nails dug into his skin. She was so close she could almost taste it. She began to beg.

"Remus, _fuck_... oh please... don't... don't stop... right there... right there..."

She kept eye contact with him until he thrust against her roughly one time. That was all it took to send her over the edge. Her legs tightened around him almost painfully, her fingers clawed at his arms and her body arched to a degree that only an acrobat could achieve. A hoarse scream ripped from her throat as every muscle in her body clenched.

Remus stared down at her in wonder. He had never had a woman be so responsive to him, only associating this kind of reaction with guys like James and Sirius. Even then, it was usually after Quidditch practice. He'd seen several girls during his school days nearly wet themselves at the sight of a sweaty, shirtless Sirius Black, but here was Jeannie begging for him.

Once Jeannie came down from her high, she decided that enough was enough. She wanted Remus inside of her, and she wanted it now. Apparently he had the same idea, because he finally got around to removing the bra he had unhooked earlier. Remus tossed it behind him and went to reach for her panties when something glittery caught his eye. The glittery object was attached to Jeannie's nipple. Jeannie chuckled at the look of confusion on Remus' face. She brought her hand up to her breasts, small as they were, and rolled the piercings around with her fingers. It didn't take long for Remus to replace her fingers with his own as he enjoyed another first. He had heard of exotic piercings, but had never seen one in person before. Now he was staring at two - one in each nipple - and he liked it. He squeezed her breasts and pulled gently at the stones, making her moan again.

That moan brought Remus back to the task at hand. He ran his hands down her body to the top of her panties. By now, he was hard as a rock once more and ready to give Jeannie the pounding she seemed to desperately need. Locking eyes with her again, he ripped the panties off her body, making her yelp in response. Then, taking himself in hand, he aligned his cock with her centre and plunged inside.

Jeannie screamed and Remus groaned loudly. She was so tight, he wondered briefly if she had been a virgin. This thought disappeared, however, when she expertly worked her inner muscles over his cock. Remus growled at her and began thrusting into her roughly. Jeannie moaned and started fingering her nipples again. Remus batted her hands away and replaced them with his own before remembering that he hadn't tasted her breasts yet. He grinned at her, then wrapped his lips around a nipple and suckled her. She mewled and threaded her fingers through his hair to hold him there. Remus rolled his tongue around the jewel before biting down on the soft flesh. Jeannie bucked her hips at him, so he switched breasts and did it again.

He pulled back when he felt himself getting close so he could watch himself piercing her body. He stared at the place where they came together, then took a moment to watch her breasts bounce in time with his thrusts. Jeannie was still sensitive from her first orgasm and she knew it wouldn't take much to make her come again. She watched Remus work her body and felt the tingling begin. His hips thrust powerfully into her just the way she liked and the muscles in his upper body rippled with the effort. She brought her hands above her head and gripped the edge of his desk as her body began to shake. Remus felt her flutter around him and gripped her hips almost painfully as he snapped his hips faster and harder, grunting and growling with each thrust. Finally, it was too much for her.

"Oh, fuck... ah... ah... yes... yes... there... REMUS!"

Her body clenched around him and sent him spiraling into his own climax. His hoarse shout rivaled her scream as his thrusting became erratic, finally spilling inside her as he buried himself as deep as he could possibly go. Completely spent, he collapsed on top of her, gasping for breath and resting his head on her chest. They stayed that way for many long minutes - Remus' breathing returning to normal and Jeannie gently stroking his hair. Finally, he detached his sweaty cheek from her sweaty breast and looked at her. She smiled softly at him, sated for the moment.

"You're beautiful," he said, smiling back at her.

"So are you," she replied.

"Will you spend the night with me?" he asked, still slightly scared of rejection.

"I'd like that," she said, surprising him.

"Really?"

"Yes - that was my plan," she said, amused.

"You had a plan?" he asked stupidly.

"I had an outline. I knew I wanted to end up in your bed tonight, I just wasn't sure how I was going to make that happen. It worked out pretty well in my opinion - you've just fulfilled one of my favourite fantasies," she said, smiling wickedly at him.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, laughing.

"Absolutely! Fucking a teacher on his desk? The only thing that would have made this better is if I had my old uniform with me - then we could play 'detention'!" She laughed at the scandalized look on his face.

"Detention?! You are a naughty girl."

"Remus?"

"Hmm?"

"We have to get up if we want to sleep in your bed tonight."

He sighed. "I know, but that means pulling out of you." Remus' cock was still buried in her tight heat and, even soft, it was happy there.

Jeannie laughed again and said, "I'll make you a deal. You put me in your bed, and I'll put you back inside me. How about that?"

Remus grinned at her. "Deal."

Remus pulled out of her gently and buttoned his trousers. He then helped Jeannie to her feet and they made their wobbly way up to his living quarters, picking up random pieces of hap-hazardly thrown clothing along the way. She took his hand as they walked up the staircase that led from his office to his private rooms and Remus couldn't help but smile at that. It had been an awfully long time since he'd held hands with someone.

After giving Jeannie a quick tour, he watched in awe as she stripped off what was left of her clothes and climbed into his bed naked. She looked up at him with a tired but satisfied smile and he couldn't stop his grin. "I propose a nap before we resume our 'activities'," she said. "Would you care to join me?"

Remus' grin widened as he slipped out of his clothes and into bed alongside her. Jeannie curled into his side and laid her head on his chest. She ran her fingers through the light dusting of hair on his chest and traced a few of his scars. She had been right about Remus having an amazing body. He was long and lean and certainly no body-builder, but he had all the muscle he needed. He also had not an ounce of fat on him, despite being stuffed full of Hogwarts' good food. All-in-all, Remus was quite well built. Jeannie snuggled deeper into his chest and he placed a kiss on top of her head, then closed his eyes, sighing contentedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I know I've made several references to Sirius and James, but I feel like Remus (and later Sirius) never truly moved on. Sirius and James were Remus' first friends and I feel like he always knew something wasn't quite right about the way things happened and was never at peace with it, so his thoughts go frequently to them. Also, he never met anyone that was able to replace them in his mind.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	4. Fantastic Weekend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I wasn't sure how I was going to end things with Remus and I wanted to make sure that it was good before posting this chapter. The next couple of chapters will be transitional for everyone, because we all know some big events happen for all involved, but it won't be too long before Jeannie's back in action and setting her sights on another Marauder. Please let me know what you think. I love reviews!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

The first thing Remus noticed when he woke up the next morning was that the sun was already high, telling him that he had slept later than usual. The second thing he noticed was that he wasn't alone. The third thing he noticed was the smell of sex. Neither he nor Jeannie had bothered showering before going to bed last night and he could still smell her on him, and him on her. The lady in question was still fast asleep and Remus couldn't blame her. She'd had a long day, then a long night even before seducing him. Remus mentally snorted at that. She seduced me, he thought. And she knew about me. And she didn't care. Hmm.

He really hadn't had time the night before to analyze the situation, what with being sucked off and all, but now in the light of day he could see things a bit clearer. Actually, scratch that - it didn't make any more sense to him now than it had last night. Was he simply a warm body in the right place at the right time for her? Was she actually attracted to him at all, or was he just the best option she could find? He supposed that his friends in school had been right when they said he could be worse than a girl in these situations. Remus knew he tended to over-think everything, especially when it came to things he didn't fully understand - like young, beautiful women wanting him. He couldn't remember the last time any girl had been so assertive with him. Oh, that's right, it had never happened before. He had always been the proactive one in the few relationships that he'd had.

Not that he would mind all that much if she had simply used him, of course. He was a man (most of the time), and it had been the best sex of his life. Something about Jeannie had brought out the wolf - just a bit of him - and she hadn't seemed frightened at all. In fact, she'd encouraged it, asking him to growl at her. He'd never felt that free before, always knowing that he had to hide his true nature from his partners if he didn't want them running away or hexing him. Life was unfair for a werewolf, but he was used to that, and if Jeannie simply wanted to have a bit of fun with him, well, they were both adults. He was sure he could handle it.

Remus was brought out of his mental merry-go-round by a movement on the bed. Jeannie had woken up and was looking at him. He smiled at her and she returned it.

"Is the ceiling particularly fascinating this morning?" she asked, and he looked at her questioningly. "You seem to be studying it pretty hard."

"No, same old ceiling, just different circumstances," he replied. "You see, this ceiling has never seen this bed occupied by two people. At least, not while I've been in residence."

"Ah - you're not complaining are you?" she asked, tracing a few scars on his chest suggestively.

"Definitely not," Remus said, enjoying her touch, "but if we want breakfast, we might want to get out of bed soon."

Jeannie flopped back down on the bed and hid her head under a pillow. Remus heard her groan, than a muffled voice said, "You go to breakfast, I just want a cup of coffee and a shower."

Remus rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. He gently removed the pillow from Jeannie's face and looked down at her. Her eyes were still heavy with sleep, and her long dark hair was all over the place. "If you want to sleep some more, that's fine, just call for a house-elf when you're ready. I have to at least make an appearance around the school before you make good on your promise," he said, raising an eyebrow at her and grinning.

"What promise?" she asked.

"You said last night that if I put you in my bed, you would put me back inside you. That was the deal. Remember?" he said, running his fingers along any exposed flesh of hers he could find. "Now, unless we had sex again last night in our sleep... " he trailed off. Remus had never been this bold with a girl before, but there was something about Jeannie that seemed to make it okay.

"Mmm, that's right - I did say that, didn't I?" she said, arching into his touch. She bit her lip and looked at him "You better go make your appearance then, because I'm only here for the weekend and I intend to make the most of it."

Remus' fingers paused momentarily in their exploration, then resumed. At least now he had his answer, he had a weekend. He could live with that. Flashing her a quick grin and swooping down for a kiss, he got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom for a shower.

"Remus?" she called, just before he got the bathroom door. He turned back to her. "Are you okay with that? I mean - with this just being a one-weekend thing?" she asked, biting her lip as if she hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. He walked back towards the bed, completely uncaring that he was stark naked, and enjoying the way that her eyes roamed his body. There was no disgust in her gaze, like some others he had known, just appreciation of the male form. When he got to the bed, he braced his arms on the edge and leaned over her.

"I don't know much about you, Jeannie, but I know enough to know that you are a one-of-a-kind woman. I have never met anyone like you and probably never will. I am perfectly happy to bask in your presence as long as you will let me and if that means that I have a weekend, then that's what it means. And yes, I'm okay with that," he told her, watching her face carefully. Her eyes widened slightly, but she smiled at him, and he knew that he hadn't scared her off. He smiled back and stole another kiss before heading back to his original destination.

"Oh, Remus," her voice stopped him again. He turned and raised an eyebrow at her. "Before you make your 'appearance', you may want to cover up that hickey on your neck," she said, laughing at him as his jaw dropped and he hurried to the bathroom mirror to see if she was lying.

"Jeannie!" he whined at her, making her laugh even harder.

* * *

 

All-in-all it was a fantastic weekend. They did have a fair amount of sex, of course, but they spent just as much time talking. It was clear to Remus why Jeannie had been placed in Ravenclaw. She had a quick intelligence and a sharp wit - both of Rowena Ravenclaw's most treasured traits, and Remus genuinely enjoyed her company. He had a feeling he was going to be a bit lonely when she left, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. Here he was, a man in his early thirties, hanging on every word that came from the mouth of a girl of maybe twenty. Perhaps it was best if this was just a one-time thing. Remus knew himself well enough to know how easy it was for him to get attached to someone who accepted the wolf. He hadn't met anyone like that since school, and look how that had ended. He simply couldn't afford to get attached.

When Sunday evening came, Jeannie packed her things while Remus did his usual school duties. When she finished, she went back to Remus' rooms to say goodbye. She found him in the living room, sitting on the sofa. Leaning against the door-frame, she took a minute to memorize his features as he marked his place, set his book aside and looked up at her. She smiled at him and he returned it.

"Are you leaving now?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Dumbledore's letting me use his floo so I can go straight home. He didn't want me traveling at this time of night," Jeannie answered, knowing that Remus would understand what she wasn't saying - namely, that Dumbledore didn't want her to risk running into the madman Sirius Black. She had asked Remus if he knew anything about Black because all she had heard was that he was insane, but Remus had deflected the question - and had looked so uncomfortable with the subject - that she hadn't tried again. She figured there was a good reason why he didn't want to talk about it, and that was his business, so she left it alone.

Remus pursed his lips and nodded, then smiled at her. "I've enjoyed having you here," he said.

"I know you have," Jeannie replied with a dirty grin. "I made damn sure of it."

He laughed. "Yes, you did. I just hope you got some pleasure out of it as well - I'd hate to think that I took advantage of you."

"Hey - _I_ jumped _you_ , remember? And I wouldn't have stayed if I wasn't having a good time," she said, walking over to the sofa and straddling his lap. Remus moved to make them both comfortable and took a long, deep breath. "Are you smelling me, Lupin?" she asked, her voice husky and teasing. He mumbled an affirmative. "Just how much can you smell?" she asked, pulling back just a bit. "No - really, I'm curious," she said when he looked slightly embarrassed.

"Well, um," he started, a bit uncomfortable. "I can smell moods, emotions - particularly strong ones like fear or arousal, but I can also smell _you_. Not just your shampoo or lotion or what you had for dinner, but something that is uniquely _you_ \- I'm not sure I can really explain that," he said as she cocked her head to the side as if trying to understand. "You're not going to run from me now, are you?" he asked, jokingly.

Jeannie chuckled and started kissing his neck. "Not a chance," she said. "What time is it?" she asked, nibbling on his earlobe.

Remus groaned and looked at the clock on the mantle over his fireplace. "Nine-thirty," he said, his voice getting rough. "When is Dumbledore expecting you? "

"Ten"

"Thank Merlin," he said, his hands going to her ass as she began to move against him, grinding her hips into his. "Oh, Jeannie," he groaned. Sliding his hands up and under her sweater, his fingers found her breasts. She wasn't wearing a bra. Rolling and tweaking her nipples, he gently pulled on her piercings, knowing she liked that. She moaned and ground down on him harder, then leaned back and stripped off the sweater. Remus growled and immediately took a nipple in his mouth. She threaded her fingers through his hair and pressed him closer.

Suddenly she let go of his hair and stood. "Come on," she said, grabbing his hand and bringing him with her, "one more time." Jeannie walked backwards around to the back of the sofa and leaned against it, Remus followed. "Bend me over the couch and fuck me," she said urgently, shivering as this earned her a growl. One of his hands shot out to grab the back of her head and he brought her in for a searing kiss. His other hand began undoing her jeans. He popped the button and lowered the zipper, then slipped his hand inside to see how wet she was. _Her_ hands were busy undoing the buttons of his shirt in record time. Remus slid two fingers into her, swallowing her moan.

"You want to know what I can smell?" he asked her, breaking their kiss. She nodded. His nostrils flared. "I can smell your pussy. I can smell how wet you are. Gods, Jeannie, you're gagging for it - aren't you?" His voice was strained. She nodded again.

"Fuck me, Remus. Fuck me hard. Fuck me _now_ ," she ordered, going for his pants. Once undone, she removed his hand from her jeans and simply pulled them down, taking her panties with them, then turned around and braced herself on the back of the couch. She turned her head and looked at him challengingly.

"Come on."

Remus ran a hand down her back as he positioned himself at her entrance. Once in place, he grabbed her hips and surged forward, burying himself to the hilt. She cried out and he began pounding. They both knew they didn't have much time. The room was filled with moans and groans and the sound of skin slapping against skin. Remus was delirious with pleasure, but he needed her to come with him, so he slipped a hand around to rub her clit while taking her even harder. She cried out again and bucked her hips. He draped himself over her back and growled in her ear "Come, Jeannie," and that was all it took. Her whole body seized up, every muscle clenched and she screamed. Her pussy tightened like a vice around him and he couldn't have held back if his life depended on it. He shouted as he bucked violently and spurted inside her, her body's contractions milking him.

They stayed that way for a minute while they got their breathing under control, then Remus raised himself up off her back and pulled out of her, enjoying the way her body grabbed at him as if it didn't want him to go. He pulled his pants up and buttoned them, then gently pulled Jeannie's upper body against his and ran his mouth along her shoulder and neck. She turned her head and they kissed again, then she pulled away so she could pull her pants up. She was completely unprepared for the sound of Remus suddenly giggling behind her. Jeannie lifted her head to look at him and raised an eyebrow. His laughter just got worse.

"I'm sorry," he said breathlessly. "I really am - its just that _this_ ," he gestured between them, "does not happen to me. Ever. In fact I'm not quite sure that I haven't dreamt it all up. If it weren't for the fact that everything smells like you - including me - oh shit!" he said suddenly, looking over her shoulder. "It's five-to-ten. You have to go. You can floo from here, if you like."

Jeannie hurriedly finished doing up her jeans, then moved to Remus' fireplace, finding her sweater and throwing it on. "It's alright, I sent all my stuff before I came here, I'll just floo straight to his office," she said, turning to Remus and smiling at him. They looked at each other for a moment, then she leaned up and kissed him softly. "Bye," she whispered, and in a _whoosh_ of green flame, she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Well, that ended with a bang. Literally. I hadn't originally planned it that way, but it was the only scenario that seemed to fit well, so that's what's written. Please review.
> 
> P.S. I'm making Jeannie and Tonks the same age, which is about thirteen years younger than Remus and Sirius.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	5. Life After Hogwarts/The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Plot, plot, plot here. Don't worry, we get back to the good stuff soon.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

After checking the wards around his cottage, Remus opened the door and stepped inside. He went through the sitting room and into the kitchen where he sat down the groceries he'd been carrying. Sighing sadly, he cast cooling charms on the room, and started putting things away. His cottage wasn't terribly big, but it was his. He had bought it outright with what he'd been able to save from his teacher's salary. It may be modest, but it was all he needed, and came complete with a large, underground basement which he had immediately warded with the strongest spells he knew.

Remus still got physically ill whenever he thought of what had happened on the last full moon, and he vowed once again to do whatever necessary to ensure that never happened again. He hadn't gotten that close to killing since his reckless school days and back then he'd had two large animals capable of keeping him at bay or killing him if necessary. Last week, he'd only had Sirius - and Sirius was hardly in his prime at the moment. He shuddered. Harry had come to see him the day after, when he was frantically packing his things and trying to leave before the parents showed up with torches and pitch forks, demanding he be burned at the stake. Remus could hardly look at the boy. The last remnant of James, the boy who had Lily's eyes - he bit back the tears that threatened yet again.

After finishing with the groceries, Remus made himself a cup of tea and went back to the sitting room, sinking into the only chair he had. It was a lovely chair, plush and overstuffed and the upholstery was a very soft brown swede. His father had given him the chair many years ago, as a housewarming gift for Remus' first flat. It was one of very few personal possessions that he hadn't pawned or sold over the years and it's very existence made his world just a bit more tolerable. He had spent many happy hours in that chair, reading or recovering from the full moon, and had fallen asleep in it on countless occasions. It really was an excellent chair, he thought, sinking deeper and enjoying the way the chair seemed almost to hug him.

The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the open curtain, creating a peaceful warmth and Remus felt himself beginning to drift off when he suddenly heard a tapping. Opening his eyes, he looked to the window where a brown owl was trying to get his attention. He got up, crossed the room and opened the window. The owl swooped in gracefully and landed on his chair, holding it's leg out. Remus approached the owl, took the scroll of parchment off it's leg and offered it a bit of one of his biscuits. The owl ate it gratefully, hooted his thanks, and flew back out the still-open window.

Remus sunk back into his chair and unrolled the parchment. There, in an elegant scrawl, were three words. _All is well._ He sighed in relief. Sniffing the parchment, he tried to determine when this had been written. Recently, he thought, as it positively reeked of dog. Sirius' face wasn't on the front page of the _Prophet_ anymore, but he was still No.1 Most Wanted, and Remus knew people were still looking for him. He had given the Ministry a huge black eye with his escape and subsequent evasion, and there was no way that they were going to simply forget about him. As long as he was able to write occasionally, though, he must be alright - well, as all right as it was possible to be. Remus would have loved for Sirius to come and hide out at his cottage, but he knew that would be too risky. There were too many people that remembered them from their school days, and now that everyone knew he was a werewolf, there was that distrust as well. He was honestly surprised that he hadn't had a visit from a Ministry official since leaving the school.

He wondered if he and Sirius would ever have the opportunity to have the conversation - and probably fight - that they needed to have. Remus remembered all too well the level of suspicion and mistrust generated in the first war, and it hurt him greatly that Sirius - of all people - thought he had been a spy. It made sense, logically, since he was a werewolf and had had to make contacts with the underworld during missions for Dumbledore, but in his youth he had believed that the Marauders would rise above that. They were better than brothers, closer than family he had thought, and he had lost what innocence he had left the night James and Lily died. And yet, he could never come to terms with it. Dumbledore himself had been the one to tell him what happened and, even then, it didn't make sense. He thought, perhaps, that it was simply his unwillingness to believe that he had been wrong about Sirius from the start, but something about it was always off.

Now, however, even with the mental (and physical) trauma of that night in the Shrieking Shack with the kids and Sirius and Peter, he had a sense of peace. Even though that night had ended in disaster, he was sleeping better. There was no constant nagging in the back of his mind that he had missed something important - now he knew what really happened. Peter had admitted it. The lousy, stinking traitor had stood before him and admitted it. His heart had broken for a second time, then, but now he thought he might have a chance of piecing it back together instead of living with the shards. Things had been resolved, the people who mattered knew the truth, and he felt the healing had really begun. As with all progress, though, it was going to take some time.

* * *

 

Sirius and Buckbeak had flown until the first rays of dawn began in the east and it became simply too dangerous to carry on. Finding a secluded wood, they had stopped and rested for the day, planning on continuing their journey as soon as night fell. About mid-afternoon, Sirius was startled to see an owl circling above them, clearly seeking him out. Weighing his options, he made himself visible to the owl, who promptly swooped down in front of him. On the owl's leg was a rather large package. Sirius untied it and croaked a 'thank you' to the owl who hooted in response and took off again. Despite the package's size, it was very light, and Sirius was astounded upon opening it to find it filled to the brim with food.

There was a note on top of the food in Dumbledore's handwriting. The old man had thought that Sirius may be able to move faster if he didn't have to scrounge for food for a few days, so he'd asked the house-elves to pack a picnic for six, figuring that this would last at least a week. He'd also asked them to put preserving charms on the food and a lightening charm on the box so that it wouldn't be too cumbersome. Sirius nearly wept at this. It had been so long since anyone had done anything remotely friendly for him (he didn't count people throwing him scraps when he pretended to be a stray), and it felt good. He immediately tore into a still-warm chicken leg and sighed happily.

After a rather substantial meal, he propped himself against a tree and dozed while listening to Buckbeak hunt. He would have gladly shared his food with the hippogriff, but the animal hadn't seemed interested in cooked food. Instead, he'd found a family of hedgehogs and was much happier with that. Listening to Buckbeak crunch the bones, Sirius felt a wave of peace settle over him. Yes, he was still being hunted by the Ministry and yes, most people still thought he was a deranged killer, but the truth _had_ come out. Harry and Remus believed him and that was all that mattered. He hadn't succeeded in killing Peter, but Harry and Remus _knew_.

_What a night,_ he thought. He'd been hiding in the tunnel of the Whomping Willow when he'd seen Peter. Actually, no, he hadn't seen Peter- he'd heard the Weasley boy talking to Peter. He remembered his fur standing on end and rage overtaking him. Without a second thought and certainly without a plan, he had attacked, aiming for the rat but catching the boy instead. He remembered the boy screaming in pain and Peter squealing in fear as he dragged them both all the way to the Shrieking Shack. He remembered the taste of blood and forcing the boy to the upstairs room before transforming, wrestling the boy's wand from him and waiting for Harry to get there. He knew that simply killing a rat wouldn't do any good, he _needed_ to show Harry the truth.

Sirius hadn't counted on the girl. That little lioness standing in front of Harry with eyes as wild as her hair and wand at the ready. She'd caught him off guard with her pronouncement that he'd have to kill all of them if he wanted to kill Harry. He'd told her no, there would only be one death that night, but she hadn't understood. They didn't get it - they didn't know. He'd tried to explain, but it was as though he'd lost his command of the English language. Then Harry had attacked him - and Sirius had let him. There was no way he was going to hex Harry. He couldn't - not when every time he looked at him he saw James. He knew he deserved every bit of anger and hatred that Harry had in him and he'd accepted it willingly.

Then, out of the blue, Remus showed up. Seeing his old friend after all these years was bittersweet. As he lay on the floor with a bleeding lip, thanks to Harry, he'd had half a mind to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. The years had obviously not been kind to Remus and Sirius felt he was to blame for that, too. Instead, a miracle happened. Remus had offered him his hand and helped him up. They had embraced like the brothers they'd once been and Remus said he believed him! He'd seen Peter's name on the map with the kids and had known then that something was terribly wrong. Sirius let Remus take over explaining to the kids - he'd always been better at making sense out of madness while Sirius and James had tended to simply go along with the insanity.

Then that girl had astounded him again. It had taken him and James the better part of two years to figure out that Remus was a werewolf, but it had taken this slip of a girl a matter of months. He'd never seen anything like her. She also made reasonable arguments as to why Peter and Scabbers couldn't possibly be one and the same. Remus had taken all of this in stride, and Sirius reckoned that she was probably the same way in the classroom. The girl was quick, intelligent, cool-headed and Sirius found himself glad that Harry had this girl on his team. She was also fiercely loyal, and he knew that she would be a force to be reckoned with when she grew up. It suddenly came as no surprise to him that the cat who'd been helping him belonged to her - in fact, it fit perfectly.

In the middle of everything, however, a new scent came into the room. Sirius didn't recognize it, and he soon got distracted. That was a mistake, as a few minutes later, that greasy little shit pulled James' cloak off and attacked Moony. Sirius was beside himself, but the kids got there first, disarming Snape with so much force that he was thrown against the wall and knocked unconscious. The girl looked more terrified at the thought that she had just attacked a teacher than she'd ever been of him and Sirius almost laughed at her. He'd had enough, though, and after untying Remus, went straight for the rat. This was going to end tonight- someway, somehow.

Sirius almost couldn't believe how the rat had groveled. After forcing Peter back into human form, he'd gone around the room begging for his life. First he tried Remus, not realizing that Moony and Padfoot were united once again since he hadn't been listening to the conversation going around him while he was squeaking in terror on the bed. Next he move to the Weasley boy- Ron- and appealed to him on the basis that he'd been a good pet, a good rat. Ron had looked disgusted and turned away from him. Then he tried the girl- Hermione- who'd backed away and looked at him as though she'd found better things on the bottom of her shoe. Finally, he had the gall to turn to Harry, and that's when Sirius stepped in. There was no way in hell that Sirius was going to let that back-stabbing bastard anywhere near his godson.

Grabbing Peter by the collar, he'd thrown him to the floor and prepared - with Remus by his side - to kill him. Harry had stepped in, then, with a sense of mercy that Sirius had lost many years ago. Standing in front of the wands, his godson made the argument that this wasn't what James would have wanted. It had taken a monumental effort on Sirius' part, but he had lowered his wand. It seemed that he couldn't say no to Harry any better than he'd been able to say no to James. He'd watched Remus conjure ropes to contain the traitor and Ron had volunteered to help carry him to the castle. He'd been stuck levitating Snape out of the tunnel, but that was okay, because it gave him a chance to talk to Harry. And then the unthinkable happened.

Unbelievable bad luck followed by the most amazing good luck. That was the only way that Sirius could describe the evening's rather appalling turn of events. He remembered thinking what a beautiful night it was and how good it would feel to walk through the Hogwarts grounds again- as a free man, that is. Harry had told him that he wanted to live with him when all this was sorted out, and he couldn't have been happier. Until he looked up. Taking a deep, healing breath of clean night air, he'd let his head fall back so he could gaze at the sky- and what he saw made his blood run cold. The moon- full and large, just beginning to peek out from behind a cloud. He'd turned to look at Remus and saw his friend go rigid. Their eyes met and Sirius' world came crashing down around him again.

As quickly as he could, he told the kids to run, to let him handle this - even though he knew that, as weak as he was, there wasn't going to be much he could do. He watched the kids' horrified faces as Remus transformed and prayed that he would be able to distract him long enough for them to get inside. Then, to make things worse, Peter transformed and escaped, taking with him Sirius' last chance of salvation that night. He wasn't too clear on the next part. He remembered fighting with Remus, and Remus running off into the forest at the sound of a howl, but after that it became fuzzy. The next thing he knew, he was sitting in the Astronomy tower spilling his guts to Dumbledore.

He told him everything - from finding out about Remus' condition as a kid, to figuring out how to become animagi, to not trusting himself to keep James and Lily's secret. He told him about sneaking out of school on the full moons to keep Remus company and, after a while, finding ways out of the Shrieking Shack as well. Dumbledore had kept quiet while Sirius talked, and when Sirius was done, the old man had smiled at him. He told Sirius that something never sat quite right with him about James and Lily's deaths. There was always some nagging bit of uncertainty, but now it all made sense. He told Sirius that he believed him. Sirius' heart swelled for a moment until Dumbledore told him that, even though he believed Sirius' story, there was still the matter of convincing the Ministry.

Sirius hung his head, knowing that without Peter, there was no way. He had not acted like an innocent man, he knew, but how was he supposed to act? It wasn't as though innocence advocates were in and out of Azkaban on a regular basis, ready and willing to hear the tale of a man who'd supposedly gone insane. He'd been sent to prison without a trial, so he hadn't been able to argue his innocence then, either. And even if he'd had a trial, his version of events didn't make sense without proof and he had no way of knowing where the rat had gone until he saw that picture of the Weasley family in the Daily Prophet twelve years later. He was screwed, plain and simple.

Until the girl came for him. Blasting the door off of his make-shift cell, she broke him out with the help of his godson on the back of a _hippogriff_. Amazing. He didn't know how they had done it and, quite frankly, he didn't much care. All he knew was that fate had given him another chance and he would be a fool not to take it. After hugging Harry and Hermione goodbye- the first hugs he'd had in thirteen years- he'd climbed onto Buckbeak's back and ridden him into the sunset- er- sunrise. It wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind, but it would do. He was still free, sort of, and this was as good as it was going to get for now. The point was that Harry knew. He _knew_. And that made all the difference in the world.

Sighing heavily, he looked at Buckbeak. "Ready for some more exercise?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: The lovely Ms. Rowling has not provided us with what happened to Sirius and Remus after the Shrieking Shack, so I made up my own version. 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	6. New Recruit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: We all know what happens at the end of GoF and I'm not changing any of that. So, let's get back to Jeannie. 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"What would you say if I told you that Sirius Black was innocent?"

Jeannie put down the sandwich she had been nibbling on and looked at her best friend. "What's up, Tonks?" she said.

"What do you mean?" the pink-haired witch asked, too innocently.

"I mean that you've been fucking cryptic about everything since last week when you said you wanted to meet for lunch. What's going on? Is something wrong? Are you in trouble? And don't even try lying to me!" Jeannie said, finally losing patience. Tonks had been very strange all week and she'd just about had enough. This was the third _'what_ _would you say...'_ question that Tonks had posed since they'd sat down and it was making Jeannie nervous. Since they were fifteen years old, they had never kept secrets from each other, and she had a feeling that Tonks was about to come clean with a biggie. She watched as her companion very subtly drew her wand and cast a _Muffliato_ on the area around their table, then turn back to her.

"You-Know-Who is back. Harry Potter really did fight him. Peter Pettigrew is alive and Sirius Black was framed. I have joined a secret society headed by Albus Dumbledore and we are fighting back. I want you to join," Tonks said, knowing that it was best to put it all out there and let Jeannie sort through it in her own way.

Jeannie was silent for several seconds while she digested all of this. Finally, she raised an eyebrow and said, simply, "Explain."

Tonks did. For the next half-hour she told Jeannie everything - even things that she wasn't supposed to discuss until Jeannie was officially inducted into the Order. She knew her friend, though, and she knew that after today, the Order would have one more in it's ranks.

" -all these disappearances, all this shit that 'didn't happen' according to the Ministry, it's all linked back to _him_. That's the only way that any of it makes sense. You're not blind, Jeannie. I know you've been following things real closely" she said, earnestly.

Jeannie nodded slowly. "Yeah, I have. All during the tour, I was reading the English papers when I could get them. Even the Muggles have been noticing things," she said.

"It's just going to get worse," Tonks said. "The Ministry is flat out denying that anything is wrong, and they've got the newspapers in their back pocket. Anyone who speaks out is being taken in for questioning. It's only a matter of time before people start getting blacklisted. This is how it started last time, too."

"There is going to be a war, isn't there?" Jeannie asked seriously.

"Yeah," Tonks nodded. "There is. I know you, Jeannie. I know you won't be able to sit on the sidelines. Please join us - we need you."

Jeannie looked at Tonks' expression and knew that her friend was telling the truth. She had been paying attention, and none of the 'official' reports made sense. The Ministry was definitely hiding something and, as Tonks started explaining, the pieces finally fell into place. Jeannie didn't want to believe that it was happening, but she wasn't a Ravenclaw for nothing. She'd always been able to look past the surface to see what was really going on. Tonks was right, she couldn't sit by and do nothing. If there was going to be a war, she was going to fight in it.

"Alright," she said to Tonks. "I'm in."

* * *

 

The sitting room was fairly full due to Harry finally being there. He and Ron were locked in a fierce battle of chess, with Sirius and Remus watching on. Ginny and Hermione were poring over the new issue of _Witch Weekly_ , and the twins were being suspiciously quiet in the far corner of the room. There was an Order meeting in a little less than an hour, and Tonks had told them that she'd found someone she thought would make an excellent addition to their ranks. The strange thing, though, was that she categorically refused to give any information about this person. They had all asked her for details at least once since the last meeting, when Tonks had made her announcement, but she had just smiled and walked away - not even budging when Moody threatened to use Legilimency on her. Remus, for one, didn't know what to think. He was sure that she had almost winked at him the last time he asked her about it, but Tonks was a friendly person and it wasn't unusual for her to wink at someone.

Just then, the distinct _clunk_ of Moody's wooden leg could be heard coming down the hall, and a moment later the man himself stood in the doorway - his good eye moving around the room and waiting to be acknowledged. Remus and Sirius shared a look, knowing from experience what that meant. The battle-scarred Auror had something important to say and he wanted everyone's attention. Sirius tapped the chess board to get the boys' attention, and Remus looked at Hermione who shushed Ginny. The twins quieted as well, being far more aware of their surroundings than they were given credit for.

"Right. I want everyone in the formal dining room. Now!" Moody barked, making them all jump to their feet.

"The kids, too- ?" Sirius started.

"Everyone!" Moody repeated, already headed down the hall.

Sirius looked to Remus who shrugged. All they could do was follow, and try to figure it out later. They trailed behind Moody, single-file, to the dining room. He opened the door, then stepped aside , gesturing for the others to go in and grumbling when they weren't quick enough. The last time Remus had been in the Black family dining room was when he and Sirius had gone through Grimmauld Place to see if it would be suitable for headquarters. The room had been thick with cobwebs and over a decade's worth of dust, and Remus had stumbled out of it, gagging. Apparently Moody had cleaned it up somewhat- probably for the purpose of whatever they were doing right now- and , although it was still a mess, Remus was able to breathe.

The room's furniture had been shoved to the walls to create a large, open space in the middle - almost like an arena. The other Order members were already there, sitting on the dining chairs, with the exception of Tonks. She was standing at one end of the cleared space, wand in hand and looking ready to do battle. She was facing someone at the other end who was wearing a long, black hooded cloak- not an inch of skin could be seen, but peeking out of one of the robe's sleeves was a wand. The person in the cloak was also in an aggressive stance, and it was clear that there was going to be some kind of demonstration. Remus and Sirius took places behind the kids and leaned against the wall.

Molly looked up as the kids filed in and stood. "Now, Alastor, the children don't need to be here for this, do they?" she asked, always the mother hen.

"They do," he growled, "It's better they see a bit of dueling here, in a controlled space, than have to make it up as they go when they get caught unprepared."

"Now, see here- " she started, but Arthur cut in.

"Molly, dear, I think he's right. This is just a demonstration, there won't be anything too serious thrown around, and the kids won't be participating," he said.

She looked like she was thinking about arguing, but decided against it, sitting back down and huffing her displeasure.

"Excellent," said Dumbledore, clapping his hands together. "Alastor, shall we begin?"

Moody grunted and walked to the middle of the space, between the two opponents. "Now, I want a nice, clean game- from both of you!" he said, looking to Tonks, who nodded, then to her rival, who also nodded from under the cloak. "Right- I'm going to walk to the side of the ring," as he spoke a golden ring appeared around the outer edge of the cleared space. "When I get there I'm going to count to three. On three, you begin- not before, got it?" Another nod from both duelers. Moody grunted again and started limping to the edge. When he crossed the ring, he turned to the spectators. "This ring will protect us on this side from any wayward curses or hexes. However, CONSTANT VIGILANCE." This brought a snort from the guest in the robe and Moody whipped his head around and narrowed his eyes in their direction. He raised his wand "ONE, TWO, THREE!" he roared, bringing his wand down in a shower of sparks.

Nothing happened.

The two duelers stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity before the robed one decided to make a move. Fast as lightning, the challenger waved their wand and sent a jet of purple light towards Tonks to start the fun. Tonks blocked it and sent a silver jet back. After that, it was a free-for-all. They ducked and rolled and sent hexes at each other so quickly that even Remus with his extra senses was having trouble keeping up. It was a good thing that Moody had cleared as much space as he did, because those two were using every inch of it. The mystery fighter managed to keep their robe on, but it did blow back once, showing a decidedly feminine black denim-clad leg and a black boot. Remus looked at Sirius who smirked.

The show went on for nearly 20 minutes, with neither opponent showing any signs of fatigue. Spells ricotched off the barrier that Moody had erected, and the air crackled with the intensity of the battle. Sirius thought to himself that whoever this was either truly hated Tonks, or was her best friend. He remembered when he and James were students of Moody's and they'd had to fight each other. They knew the other so well that the contest could literally go on forever with no-one winning. That's what he decided he was watching here. This girl was Tonks' best friend and probably had been for a long time. Then, suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. The cloaked dueler became aggressive, no longer content with the status quo. She began firing hex after hex - at first it looked random, but Remus quickly recognized a pattern.

"She's going to take her here," he muttered to Sirius.

"Nah - she's just tired and wants to end it," Sirius replied.

"No, watch." And, sure enough Remus was right. Within seconds, the robed one had Tonks' wand in her hand and Tonks herself accepting defeat.

All was silent until Moody began clapping. The others followed suit, and Tonks and her opponent both took a bow. The applause died down and Moody removed the protective barrier and approached the girls. "That was some excellent dueling, you two," he said, and the girls high-fived.

"It certainly was," said Dumbledore. "Now, may we be allowed to know the identity of our newest member? As long as there are no objections, of course- " he added, looking around at the audience. Everyone shook their heads. They would be happy to have such a strong witch on their side, no matter who she was. "Good. Now, Miss, would you please remove your robe?" he asked, addressing the mystery girl.

Slender hands went to the clasp and undid it, then drew it open and threw it off, revealing a beautiful young woman in her early twenties. She had long dark hair that fell to her waist and was tied back with a thick fringe and, although short, she was very well proportioned with a small waist and all the curves she needed without having too much. Her eyes were as dark as her hair and she wore very little make-up, only enough to accentuate her natural beauty. She wore all black, from her boots to her jeans to her sleeveless, v-neck blouse which only served to highlight her clear, creamy skin.

"Ah, Miss Jones," Dumbledore said, "I thought it might be you."

Sirius felt rather than saw Remus stiffen slightly next to him and looked at his friend. Remus was staring at this 'Miss Jones' as if she were a ghost. Sirius nudged him and raised an eyebrow. Remus shook his head and gave Sirius a look that said 'later'. Sirius shrugged and turned his attention back to the new recruit, who was now getting smothered by Molly Weasley. The older woman embraced the girl as if she was her own daughter and the girl clearly returned the affection. Arthur was also looking at her fondly.

"Jeannie, dear," Molly was saying, "I didn't know you were back in the country. We haven't seen you for so long! You will stay for dinner, won't you?"

"Love to, mom," Jeannie replied, making the matriarch swell with pride, and surprising Sirius with her American accent. "If you're sure there's enough."

"There's always enough for you, sweetie," said Arthur, coming in for his hug.

Then Tonks spoke up. "For those of you who have been living under a rock- or on a rock in the middle of the North Sea," she said, smirking at Sirius who made a face at her, "this is Jeannie Jones. She used to be an acrobat in the circus, then decided that she liked singing better, and now she's taking a break from her career to help us fight old snake-face. She's also my best mate, so be nice."

Jeannie suddenly sniffled and pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. "That was beautiful, Tonksie. Really," she said, laughing when Tonks stuck her tongue out at her.

"Shades of me and James," Sirius said quietly to Remus. The werewolf nodded and smiled fondly at the memories.

"Oh, Jeannie," Molly said abruptly, "Charlie's going to visit in about a week - won't that be lovely?"

"Sure, mom," said Jeannie appeasingly, sharing a look with Tonks. "It'll be great to catch up."

"Hey, Jeannie!" shouted one of the twins. "Remember us?" he asked, grinning.

"Hard to forget you two," she said, walking over to them and smiling. "How's everybody been?"

Sirius looked questioningly at Remus.

"She played a concert at Hogwarts two years ago," Remus explained. "If I remember correctly, she got stuck dancing between the twins at one point."

"Two years ago, huh?" said Sirius. "You mean the year you taught?" he clarified, watching Remus' face flush slightly.

"Ah - yes, that year," Remus answered, not looking at Sirius.

"Do you think she remembers you?" Sirius asked, grinning as Remus' flush grew.

"There is - ah - that possibility, yes," said Remus evasively.

Sirius chuckled quietly and had to admit he was impressed. Looking over at Jeannie, who was still talking to the kids, he couldn't help but ogle a bit. The black boots she wore were motorcycle boots - he recognized them instantly because he'd had a pair just like them before Azkaban. The jeans she wore were form-fitted, and oh, what a form! The blouse also seemed as if it had been tailored for her specifically. Nipped in perfectly at the waist, it had buttons down the front and a 'v' neckline - on a man it would have been called a vest. She had a small chest, but it was perfect for her small frame. Sirius thought she was probably only about five feet tall. _Perfect_.

A sharp elbow to the ribs ended his musings. He turned to glare at Remus who glared back. "She's not steak, Padfoot. Quit drooling," he said.

"I'm not drooling, Moony- I'm _appreciating_. Big difference," Sirius replied, pouting.

"Well, do you think you could do it a bit more subtly? We don't want to scare her off!"

"Did you see how she just handled my cousin? I doubt _I'm_ going to do anything to scare her off."

"That's not the point- "

"You're being awfully protective, Moony. Something I should know?"

Remus opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Both men turned to find the object of their bickering standing right in front of them, smirking knowingly. Next to her stood Tonks with her hands on her hips.

"Sorry to interrupt, boys, but I thought you might like to be introduced properly, rather than simply ogling from afar," said Tonks sarcastically.

Jeannie chuckled and reached up to pull Remus in for a hug. "How are you?" she asked him.

"Okay," he said as he pulled back, blushing. "Allow me to introduce Sirius Black."

Jeannie turned to Sirius and stuck out her hand. Sirius took it with a little hesitation. "I assume by the fact that you're not screaming and running away, that Tonks told you I'm innocent," he said.

"Yeah, she explained everything - you don't have to worry about me," she said, smiling at him.

"Nah," Tonks interjected, "it's _you_ who's gonna have to worry about _him_ ," stabbing her thumb in Sirius' direction.

Sirius turned to his cousin with a highly affronted look on his face. "I'm starting to feel a bit picked on," he said. He turned back to Jeannie. "Have I done or said anything inappropriate?" he asked her.

"Nope," Jeannie shook her head.

"You see?" Sirius turned back to Remus and Tonks. "I'm sure I will, at some point," he said. "But how about waiting until I do, and then yelling at me?"

Jeannie laughed, but before any of them could respond, Moody announced that it was time for the meeting. Molly began shooing the kids up to their bedrooms, while Tonks grabbed Jeannie's arm and started leading her down to Grimmauld Place's kitchen. On the way, she explained about the house, as she hadn't been able to before because of the Fidelius Charm. Now that Jeannie knew about it, though, it was okay to talk about. Unfortunately, as they walked down the main hallway, Tonks tripped on some hideous umbrella stand and Jeannie got the fright of her life as a moldy set of curtains to her right burst open and an old hag-looking woman in a portrait started screaming at her. She leapt back in alarm only to slam into a hard body whose arm snaked around her waist protectively.

Jeannie turned her head to see that is was Sirius holding her. "It's alright," he said, looking down at her, "just my mother."

Sirius let go of her so he could help Remus wrestle the old woman's curtains closed. They put up a hell of a fight, and both men were sweating slightly by the time they finished. They all tiptoed very quietly the rest of the way to the kitchen, and when they arrived, Sirius explained to Jeannie that his parents had been typical pureblood bigots and that, even in death, his mother did not appreciate him filling the house with the sort of people she hated. Then everyone took seats and Dumbledore called the meeting to order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Yeah! Jeannie and Sirius have met!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	7. Jeannie's First Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: This chapter may be a bit short on dialogue, but I'm trying to establish where Jeannie fits in, particularly with Tonks and the Weasleys. More talking in the next chapter, I promise. Anyway, on to the story!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

The meeting went well, all things considered. Jeannie took a seat next to Tonks who filled her in on the particulars of each person as they gave their reports. There were more 'disappearances', more unexplained happenings- but that was to be expected. At least things were starting to make sense. What Jeannie was hearing here was everything that wasn't being printed or admitted to in public. All the little pieces of news that didn't quite fit together properly, all the explanations that were just a bit incomplete. This was what Jeannie was hoping for, and she was glad that Tonks had brought her in. She also understood now the need for all the secrecy. Sirius' status aside, there were several Order members who were also Ministry employees- some rather high-ranking, like Kingsley Shacklebolt, and from what Tonks told her, Jeannie knew that if it was known what they were doing in their spare time, it would mean a lot of trouble for them.

One thing she kept hearing, however, was how things were happening now 'just like last time'. Jeannie knew a little about the first war, but she quickly realized that she needed to know a lot more. Luckily for her, the people who had fought on the front lines last time were all easily accessible to her now. She figured that Moody would love to tell her about all the Death Eaters he had to battle. Maybe she could corner him after the meeting and pick his brain a little. Remus, too, since she already knew him. It would be good for her to know- or at least have an idea- what was going to happen next.

She was surprised at how many people she already knew. The Aurors in the group she knew simply by virtue of being friends with Tonks. Mad-eye had recruited Tonks personally when he'd come to the school during their NEWT exams. He'd tried to bring Jeannie in as well, but she hadn't been sure about a career with the Ministry, so she'd passed. Kingsley she knew because he was Tonks' boss now that she'd completed all her training and exams. She knew Arthur and Molly because she and Tonks had been friends with Charlie in school and had even dated him at different times and they both got along well with Bill who'd been two years ahead of them.

She was also a little surprised to see Professor Snape there. Jeannie and Tonks had been his students, and she had never thought of him as a 'group activity' sort of person. She was even more surprised to find out that he was a Death Eater - or, at least, had been. Reformed, apparently, but she still caught suspicious glances from several members. He didn't seem to notice or care, though, so she put that on her mental list of questions to ask Tonks after the meeting. In any event, she was sure that Dumbledore wouldn't have him in the Order if he didn't trust him.

As the meeting drew to a close, Dumbledore asked if anyone had any questions. Jeannie raised her hand.

"Sorry, everyone, I'll be quick," she said, knowing most of them probably wanted to get home. "Remus, who's making your Wolfsbane?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sirius' eyes widen in shock.

Remus blinked at her. "Um, Severus is," he said, surprised.

Jeannie nodded. "That's what I thought." She turned to the Potions Master. "I don't know if you remember, Professor, but for my Potions NEWT I made the Wolfsbane potion and got full marks. I know how time-consuming it is and I'd be more than happy to take over for you if you'd like," she offered. Dumbledore hadn't given her a job yet, and she was eager to help out.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "That would be... helpful," he drawled. "Assuming, of course, that Lupin is acceptable."

Remus looked over at Jeannie and thought about asking her if she'd made the potion _since_ her NEWT exams, but something in her smile told him that she wouldn't have offered unless she was completely confident in her ability. So, ignoring Sirius' pointed stare, he nodded.

"Fine by me," he said.

"Good," Jeannie said, smiling at him again. "Also, I think I want to bring someone in."

"Oh?" said Dumbledore.

"Yes. It may be a bit unorthodox because this person is not a wizard," she said, shocking everyone.

"Not a wizard?" Dumbledore repeated.

Jeannie shook her head. "No, he's not a wizard - but he is a werewolf."

* * *

 

Sirius sat there, flabbergasted. _Who the fuck is this girl?,_ he wondered as he heard Dumbledore give Jeannie the okay to talk to this friend of hers and then call the meeting to a close. He'd been sneaking glances at her all through the meeting, and the more he saw and heard, the more confused he became. Granted, his social skills were pretty much in the toilet after so many years alone, but he hadn't realized he was that rusty at reading people. Perhaps it was just her. Or maybe girls had changed since the last time he'd gotten to know one. Maybe it was a circus thing. Sirius didn't know anything about circus girls, and now he was regretting his oversight.

It wasn't just her looks throwing him off, either. It was the contrasts that got him. True, he hadn't been expecting a girl with tattoos and a nose piercing but, then again, she was Tonks' best friend and Tonks did like to be colourful. In his experience, though, most girls who wore very little make-up like Jeannie didn't have tattoos. Most girls who were intelligent didn't generally want distractions like unusual piercings taking the attention away from that. It didn't look to Sirius like she was trying to hide her natural beauty and brains under these things, rather the one seemed to enhance the other. Maybe she was just the most secure person he'd ever met. Or, maybe, she just didn't give a flying fuck about what everyone else thought. There was something strange about her, though, and he had a feeling Remus knew what it was.

That look on Remus' face when Jeannie took her cloak off after dueling Tonks said a lot. There was no doubt in Sirius' mind that Remus had met this girl before and that whatever had transpired between them had been deep. She'd _hugged_ Remus - and Remus _let_ her. That right there spoke volumes. Remus had never been one for physical contact, always being too scared of rejection. He almost never gave hugs unless he was completely comfortable with someone, and even then, he waited for _them_ to hug _him_. However, he hadn't seemed ill-at-ease when Jeannie hugged him, just a bit embarrassed that she'd done it in front of everyone.

Now, here she was, offering to take over making Remus' potion and saying that she knew of another werewolf who might want to join them. Sirius himself, who had been best friends with a werewolf since he was eleven years old, had never met or made friends with any other lycanthrope. Not that he wouldn't, mind, he simply hadn't had the opportunity. Where had Jeannie been and what had she done in her life that she was not only accepting of Remus' condition, but accepting of other people with the same condition? Most people only accepted Remus after knowing him for a while and having a solid base for their acceptance, but in all the time Sirius had been back in Remus' company, the werewolf hadn't said a word about Jeannie Jones - and Sirius intended to find out why.

* * *

 

"So, Jeannie, are you going to be touring England anytime soon?" asked Ginny, grabbing a dinner roll.

Once the meeting was over, Molly had called the children down for supper, and the Black kitchen was suddenly filled with conversation and laughter. Remus, Tonks and Jeannie had stayed and the girls were taking turns amusing the kids. Tonks was doing her usual morphing act and Jeannie was showing everyone the 'magic tricks' that she'd grown up doing in the circus.

"I don't think so, Ginny. Maybe a show here or there, but not a tour. I just got done touring Europe and I've decided to take some time off. Besides, I want to be available to help out here as much as possible," Jeannie said, getting up to help Molly clear away the dishes. Molly shooed her away, saying she'd take care of it, so Jeannie sat back down and conjured a deck of cards.

"Gin rummy?" asked Sirius from the head of the table.

Jeannie shook her head.

"Poker?" Another head shake. "Strip poker?" he asked casually, though Jeannie caught his grin.

"No, Sirius," she said laughing. "I'm going to show everyone how I got Arthur Weasley to fall in love with me."

"Oohh," said Arthur, pulling up a chair. "Are you going to do those wonderful muggle tricks?"

Jeannie blew him a kiss. "Now, the muggles like to call this kind of thing 'magic'," she said, fanning out the cards on the table and manipulating them this way and that. "But the real name for it is 'sleight of hand'. The hand is not faster than the eye, but it can be faster than the comprehension, so you have to watch closely."

The room got quiet. Magical people, even ones who weren't prejudiced against muggles, were very rarely familiar with muggle 'magic'- pulling rabbits out of hats and finding coins behind the ears of small children. They sometimes had a cursory knowledge, but Jeannie knew from experience that performing muggle 'magic' in front of a wizard generally got much the same reaction as a wizard performing real magic in front of a muggle. She'd done a bit of juggling with the rolls earlier, so now she was going to show them a few tricks that she'd shown Arthur the first time she'd met him and realized he had an obsession with muggles.

She cut the cards several different ways with one hand, tossed them around only to have them show up back in her hand, fanned them out in strange ways and made them move seemingly on their own. Each trick got _oohhh's_ and _aahhh's_ and even some applause from Arthur. It was too easy, really, and Jeannie almost laughed when she caught Sirius leaning forward in his chair trying to get a better look. She'd noticed Sirius looking at her several times during the meeting and over supper and she knew she was confusing the hell out of him.

It wasn't unusual for Jeannie to confuse people (it came with the circus territory) and, she had to admit, she didn't mind Sirius' attention. Even after all that time in Azkaban and on the run, he was still a very good-looking man. His black, shoulder-length hair was just slightly wavy and looked very soft. His eyes were steel grey and his facial structure was aristocratic with a strong jaw and well-defined cheekbones. To Jeannie he looked like he'd been the ultimate bad boy, rebelling against his parents but still enough of a gentleman to hold the door open for you. The tattoos that she could see on his forearms and under his unbuttoned shirt collar were clearly prison tattoos, but she was willing to bet that he'd had a few before going inside as well.

Tonks had told her that Sirius had owned a motorbike too, and that just completed the picture. She could imagine a twenty-year-old Sirius Black rolling up on a motorbike, probably wearing a muggle leather jacket and jeans, maybe a tattoo visible here and there... _mmmm_. As intriguing as that thought was, however, Jeannie had always preferred her men a bit older, so the vision sitting just a few chairs down from her was more to her liking. She looked up and unexpectedly met his stare. _Yes, I'd rather see that pull up_ _on a motorbike_ , she thought to herself, the corner of her mouth twitching. She watched as he narrowed his eyes slightly and raised one eyebrow. Looking him up and down once, Jeannie went back to her cards.

_What the fuck_ , Sirius thought, _did she just check me out?!_ Looking over at Remus, he concluded that she did. Remus, who had seen the exchange, was sitting in his chair with his hand over his mouth, clearly stifling laughter. _Fuck you,_ Sirius mouthed at him, making the werewolf's shoulders shake with amusement. He quickly looked around the room to see if anyone else had noticed anything but, luckily for him, they all seemed to be fixated on Jeannie's tricks. Relieved, he sat back and concentrated on not embarrassing himself at the kitchen table, knowing Molly wouldn't like that with her teenaged children around.

Jeannie did a final trick, finishing with a flourish, then stood and made an exaggerated bow as the occupants of the kitchen laughed and applauded, with Arthur clapping loudest.

"Bravo, Jeannie!" Arthur said excitedly. "Wonderful! Molly, dear, did you see?"

"Yes, Arthur," Molly said patiently. "It was very good."

"What exactly did you do in the circus?" Sirius asked Jeannie.

"I was an acrobat," she answered.

"Yes, Tonks said that earlier, but I've never been to a circus so I'm afraid I don't understand," he said.

"Oh, okay, well - basically an acrobat is someone who performs physical feats of balance, coordination and agility. Look -" Jeannie took out her wand and transfigured a few of her cards into a miniature centre ring of a circus. Then she took another card and made a small doll-like figure. Making the doll do flips and cartwheels and splits, she tried to demonstrate what she did. "I did all this. Sometimes on the ground, sometimes in the air. Sometimes we did it in groups that were carefully choreographed."

"You can do all of that?" asked Ron, staring at the doll that Jeannie was currently putting through an obstacle course.

Jeannie nodded. "Yep - well, I _used_ to," she clarified.

"Can you still?" Hermione asked.

"Probably," Jeannie said, thinking. "I haven't trained for routines in a few years, but I've kept my strength and flexibility. I could still do flips and splits and things. Not tonight," she added, seeing the kids look at her expectantly. "Maybe I'll be able to show you a few things before you go back to school, though."

"How did you do all that in the air?" Sirius asked, mystified.

Jeannie chuckled. "With the help of a trapeze, of course," she said, transfiguring a few more cards for illustration.

Sirius sat back, amazed. "Wow. I like that better than the card tricks," he said, grinning.

Jeannie snorted. "Most men do."

"Alright children, bedtime," Molly announced, while Sirius gave Jeannie his best _'I don't know what you could possibly mean'_ look. Jeannie grinned at him and vanished her mini-circus and the rest of her cards.

"Are you coming by tomorrow, Jeannie?" asked Hermione as the kids finished clearing up and started heading upstairs.

"What's happening tomorrow?" Jeannie asked.

"Just more cleaning," said Sirius unenthusiastically.

"Yeah," Tonks interjected. "We're tackling the tapestry room tomorrow. You should come by - I've got the day off, so I'll be here helping."

"Alright, then," Jeannie said. "Yes, Hermione, I will be here tomorrow."

Hermione smiled. "Great! Goodnight, everyone."

"Goodnight," several voices answered her.

"Well, I suppose I should be getting home, too," Jeannie said, getting up and stifling a yawn. She gave Arthur a kiss on the cheek and hugged Molly, promising to be back in time for breakfast.

"I'll walk you out," said Tonks, getting to her feet as well.

"Fine, but don't wake up that old hag in the hallway," said Jeannie, not wanting a repeat of earlier. "No offense, Sirius," she added. It was his mother after all.

"None taken," Sirius assured her. "Please feel free to insult her as often as you like. I try to do it at least three times a day."

"Sirius!" Molly scolded while Jeannie laughed.

"Alright, guys, see you tomorrow," Jeannie said, and let Tonks lead her out of the house.

Sirius stared at the empty doorway for a moment, then turned to Remus. "Alright, let's hear it."

Remus chuckled. "You'll be proud of me, Padfoot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: It was important to me to show Jeannie's relationship with Tonks and the Weasleys. She's like an honorary Weasley.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	8. Summer At Grimmauld

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I'm not using a beta on this story, so I apologize for any errors that occur. I do try very hard to minimize typo's and things of that nature, but if there are any glaring oversights, please don't hesitate to tell me. Bearing in mind, of course, that it is an OC story and things will change accordingly.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

True to her word, Jeannie floo'd in to Grimmauld Place early enough the next morning to snitch a few sausages from Molly. She was also just in time to send Arthur off to work. Taking a seat next to Ginny and Hermione, she talked to the girls while waiting for everyone else to drag themselves out of bed. Harry and Ron came down next, rubbing the sleep from their eyes, while the twins decided to apparate downstairs in order to scare their mother. Remus appeared shortly after and, a few minutes later, Sirius. Tonks was the last to arrive and, since she'd come through the front door instead of the floo, succeeded in waking Mrs. Black. Swearing fouly, and ignoring Molly's reproach about his language, Sirius charged towards the noise with Remus and Jeannie in tow. Jeannie had been too startled the previous night to get a good look at the old woman, and she wanted to know what she was dealing with.

_Sirius must look like his father,_ Jeannie thought, as she couldn't see any of his mother in him. Good thing, too, because the woman in the portrait was truly foul. Face contorted in rage, eyes bulging, spittle flying from the mouth that was shouting insults at anyone in the vicinity, she looked like the picture of the wicked witch that muggle parents tell their children is going to come for them on Halloween night. Mrs. Black wore a long, black Victorian-era dress with a black cap sitting atop her grey hair and expensive-looking jewels glittered around her neck. All she was missing was the pointy hat and broom.

Jeannie crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall while she watched the men wrestle the curtains. Tonks disentangled herself from what Jeannie now knew was an umbrella stand made out of a troll's leg and stood, glaring at the leg as though it had leapt out in front of her and deliberately knocked her over. Jeannie grinned and Tonks smiled ruefully at her as Sirius and Remus finished with the curtains. Sirius heaved a sigh and turned to glare at his younger cousin who immediately put on her best innocent face and pointed to the troll's leg. Remus rolled his eyes and Jeannie put her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. Shaking his head, Sirius led them all back to the kitchen.

"Dammit, _Nymphadora_ , I haven't even had a cup of coffee yet!" Sirius grouched, once they were safely out of range.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Tonks whined "but can't we move that stupid thing? It gets me every time!"

"Yeah, why don't we put it in the attic?" Jeannie suggested. "This place does have an attic, right?"

Sirius pointed at Jeannie and looked at Tonks. "See? There's an idea! Why didn't you think of that?" he asked testily. "I have never known anyone so clumsy!"

"Oh, leave it be, Sirius," said Remus, while Tonks pouted. "It was an accident. I doubt Tonks wanted to be shouted at this early."

"Thank you, Remus!" Tonks said, sticking her tongue out at her cousin.

Jeannie leaned over toward Hermione. "Does this happen often?" she asked in a whisper.

"Almost every day," Hermione whispered back.

Jeannie rolled her eyes.

"Alright, that's enough!" Molly said, ending the bickering. "Sometimes I wonder if the children in this house don't act more like adults than you two!" She put her hands on her hips to emphasize her point as the cousins looked at her with almost identical _'what did I do?'_ faces.

After finishing breakfast, they headed upstairs to the tapestry room. Jeannie had absolutely no idea what 'tapestry room' meant, so she didn't know what to expect as she walked through the door. It wasn't so much a single tapestry as it was almost like wallpaper covering the entire room with the names, faces and important dates of every Black that had ever lived. Wow, she thought, as she took a minute to walk around, examining a few people on the way. She found Sirius' parents and saw that she'd been right earlier- Sirius did look like his father. A lot like him, actually. Trailing her fingers from Orion's place down to Sirius', she frowned when she found a large burn in the fabric instead of the man. Turning, she looked questioningly at Sirius who'd been watching her perusal.

"I ran away when I was sixteen," he said, answering her unspoken question. "Couldn't take it anymore. I went to James Potter's house and when my parents found out, they disowned me and blasted me off the family tree. It had been bad enough for a Black to be sorted into Gryffindor, but it was inexcusable for a Black to leave his ancestral home and move in with blood traitors."

The distaste in his voice was clear and Jeannie could tell it was a much heavier subject for him than he was letting on. That was fine - they had only just met, after all. She wasn't going to go sticking her nose into his business, so she just nodded and gave him a quick smile before stepping over to Molly to get her cleaning orders. Listening carefully to Molly's warnings about things that go bump in the day and things that may try to bite and things that may be cursed, Jeannie began to wonder if tackling this room was a good idea. From what she was hearing, it seemed as though the house was fighting back against any and all attempts to civilize it. She had volunteered, though, so she wasn't going to chicken out now. She just wished she'd thought to bring some first-aid supplies.

Sirius, for his part, found himself in a much better mood than he'd expected. Yes, there was yet another doxy infestation to deal with and yes, he was currently surrounded with the names and faces of people he hated and who hated him, but there was a silver lining. It took the form of faded denim shorts. Rather form-fitting shorts to be exact, and the form they were fitted on was one of the best he'd ever seen. It had not escaped his notice, after fighting his mother's curtains, that Jeannie had shown up in the same motorcycle boots from the previous night - only this time they were paired with the afore-mentioned shorts, a white tank top and a man's flannel shirt. He'd enjoyed watching her walk up the stairs in front of him, her lean legs and absolutely fabulous arse distracting him to the point of almost killing himself when he'd missed a step and bumped into Remus who was behind him.

"Watch it, mate," the werewolf had said quietly, with a knowing grin.

"I _am_ 'watching it'," he'd replied. "That's exactly the problem."

It wasn't just her form, either. The shorts were short enough to reveal a tattoo in the shape of a garter around her left thigh. At first, Sirius thought it was a lace pattern, but now it looked to be a set of runes wrapped around her leg. He wondered if there was a way of getting her to show him the details without being a pervert about it. Probably not, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try. He gave it some thought while taking turns killing doxies with Remus.

"Moony," he said quietly.

Remus looked up.

"What's that tattoo on her thigh?"

"I don't know," Remus shrugged.

"What do you mean you don't know? Didn't you tell me last night you two had gotten 'acquainted'?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, but that was two years ago, Pads. She didn't have that one then."

"Damn."

"Why don't you ask her?" Remus asked reasonably.

"I'm not going to ask her!" Sirius hissed. "At least not while Molly's in the room. What's wrong with you?"

Remus laughed under his breath. "You know we sound like teenagers, right?"

"Hey, Sirius?" Jeannie's voice cut in from across the room.

"Yes?" Sirius turned around, thinking they'd been caught discussing her.

"Do you know if there's anything on top of this armiore?" she asked, standing in front of a large black cabinet.

Sirius shook his head, relieved. "No I don't, but if there is don't touch it, just levitate it down."

Jeannie summoned a chair from another room and climbed up on it so she could see the top of the armiore. There was only one thing up there, apart from a thick layer of dust. A black jewelry box with silver inlay and the family crest on it. From what she'd heard, she was fairly certain that anything of this nature would be cursed, so she did as Sirius asked and used her wand to float it down, being careful to avoid having it touch anyone. Setting it on the floor, she climbed off her chair and banished it back to where it belonged.

Sirius approached the box carefully and knelt in front of it. Letting his hand hover over the top, he could feel the Dark magic living in it. His mother had favored blood curses because of their potency and that's what this felt like to him. Deciding to let Bill Weasley take a look at it the next time he was over, since Bill had much more experience due to his position as a Gringotts curse breaker, he levitated it out of the room and down the hall to his mother's old bedroom. This was his default storage room for anything suspect that he didn't want the kids - especially muggle-born Hermione - coming across by accident. In residence was the small, fanged snuff-box that had given him a rather nasty bite recently along with various and sundry jewelry and trinkets that had been left around the house as booby traps when Kreacher had discovered what Sirius intended to use his mistress' house for.

"Well," said Molly. "I think we've done enough for the morning. Let's go down and have a spot of lunch, then see if we can't knock out the rest of it this afternoon."

Everyone gladly threw down their tools, and followed the matriarch out of the room. As they started down the stairs, Jeannie saw Sirius standing in the middle of one of the bedrooms at the end of the hall. She told Tonks to go ahead; she would get Sirius and bring him down for lunch. Approaching the room, she knocked on the door-frame to get his attention. He turned his head to look at her.

"We're breaking for lunch," she said, moving into the room. "You hungry?"

He nodded. "Have you had a chance to talk to your friend?" he asked, giving her a sideways glance.

"No," she said, looking confused. "I came straight here this morning."

Sirius nodded. "I know, I just thought it might be a boyfriend," he said.

"No, actually, it's my brother," she said.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a brother," Sirius said.

Jeannie laughed. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Sirius."

"I know, but Remus didn't say anything about a brother," he said without thinking.

"Ah," Jeannie said, understanding. "You've been talking to Remus."

Sirius paused. "Of course," he said airily. "He's my best mate, he lives with me, I see him all the time. Why wouldn't I talk to him?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Sirius shrugged, but didn't deny it. "I wanted to know who was in my house."

"Bullshit," Jeannie countered. "You wanted to know if I sucked him off." She arched an eyebrow as he spluttered, her language catching him off-guard.

"I wanted to know who you were," Sirius said. "That little tidbit was an unexpected bonus, and kept me up half the night."

Jeannie laughed. "What? Only half the night? I think I'm at least good enough for a full night's insomnia!" she said, teasingly.

Sirius smirked, but then his look turned dark. "Don't worry, I didn't sleep the other half of the night either, it just wasn't because of you."

She raised an eyebrow.

He sighed. "I don't sleep well in this house, Jeannie. I never have, not since I was a very small child. Too much unhappiness," he explained.

As he spoke, Jeannie watched his face darken the same way it had when he told her about the burn on the wall where his name should have been on the family tapestry. There was no doubt in her mind that Sirius was supremely unhappy at being in this house, but she really didn't want to see him wallow in his misery. She figured that could happen very easily seeing as he was cooped up here with nothing else to occupy him and she thought maybe she could make that another job of hers - like the Wolfsbane Potion. Trying to take his mind off of where he was wasn't going to be easy, especially with his mother's portrait down the hall, but she felt he was worth a shot.

"It's just a house, Sirius," she tried gently.

"No, Jeannie," he said seriously. "It's not just a house. It's the house that I swore nearly twenty years ago that I'd never set foot in again. It's the house that holds every bad childhood memory I have - and there are many. It's the house that was my first prison and has become my new prison. It is most definitely _not_ just a house."

Jeannie considered this for a moment. "Okay," she said, seeing his point.

Sirius blinked. "Okay?" he said, surprised. "You're not going to scold me for being petulant or over-dramatic? You're not going to tell me to get over myself and deal with it? You're not going to tell me that I should be grateful because at least here I'm _safe_?"

"No, Sirius," Jeannie said, smiling. "I'm not your wife or your girlfriend, and I'm _certainly_ not your mother. It's not my place to tell you to be or say or do anything. To me, it is just a house. To you, it's almost everything you hate about your life right now. We're simply in different circumstances, that's all. I see where you're coming from, and I can respect it. You have the right to feel however you want to feel - I just don't want to see it consume you. We may have just met, but I'd like to be your friend, and as your friend I reserve the right to care. Okay?"

Sirius opened and closed his mouth several times, clearly at a loss. "You're very strange," he said finally.

Jeannie laughed loudly at this. "So I've been told. Come on, I'm hungry," she said, nodding towards the door.

She left the room, Sirius trailing behind her, and followed the smell of food down to the kitchen where Molly was dishing out lunch. How they were supposed to get anything done after stuffing themselves with Molly's famous shepherd's pie, Jeannie didn't know, but she wasn't about to argue the point. She loved Molly's cooking and was glad to have an excuse to sample it again. Perhaps the older woman had been right, Jeannie had been away too long. Maybe it was time to take a break and just enjoy whatever came her way for a while. Of course, this theory had nothing to do with the highly attractive and terribly broken man that she'd just met. Nothing at all. Really.

Taking a plate from Molly, Jeannie went to sit in between the twins who'd made a big show of making room for her and dusting off the seat. They gave her identical bows as she sat, then took their places on either side of her. Sirius chuckled at the boys' antics.

"Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you, boys," he asked.

"What would you suggest, Sirius? Flowers?" said one twin.

"Chocolate?" tried the other.

"Poetry?"

"Soft music?"

"Slow dancing?"

Sirius gave a long-suffering sigh and shook his head. "Boys, boys, boys," he said. "The first rule in attracting birds is to not bloody scare them off! Pulling out chairs and bowing and kissing hands is all well and good, but you have to get one close enough first! They see you pulling that stuff too early and they'll run for the hills."

"You tell 'em, Casanova," said Tonks, earning a scowl.

"Casanova is right," Remus cut in. "The girls in our graduating class held a vote on who was the most charming in our year. Apparently it was unanimous."

"See? I know what I'm talking about," Sirius said.

"Of course, that was the same year he lost a bet to James and the punishment was to run from the Entrance Hall to the Black Lake and throw himself in. Naked," Remus added.

"Oh, thank you, Moony," Sirius said acidly, glaring daggers at his friend as laughter erupted around the table.

"Yes, thank you, Remus!" cried Tonks, looking as though Christmas had come early.

"Were the girls standing there watching and going _'I could have sworn it was bigger than that!'_?" Jeannie teased, triggering another round of laughs.

"Oi! Watch it, you!" Sirius said, pointing at Jeannie.

"What bet did you lose, Sirius?" Ginny asked.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I bet James in our fourth year that he couldn't get Lily to date him while we were still in school. Of course he had to prove me wrong in the middle of bloody winter and I nearly froze my arse off jumping in the lake!"

"Please tell me someone got a picture of that!" Jeannie said.

"Hey, if you want to see- " Sirius began, standing and reaching for his belt buckle with a grin.

"Sirius Black!" Molly cried. "Don't you dare!" she said dangerously, wand in hand.

Sirius raised his hands in surrender and sat back down obediently as whistles and cat-calls echoed around the room.

They got through the rest of lunch without any more drama, although Sirius had gotten another warning look from Molly when he asked to see the tattoo on Jeannie's thigh and, to Jeannie's surprise, they did succeed in finishing the tapestry room clean-up. Apparently, they had accomplished more that morning than she'd thought. Sirius had given her an open invitation to come by whenever she wanted, and Tonks had told her to expect another Order meeting in a few days. She opted not to stay for dinner this time, though, choosing instead a nice long soak in the tub at home and Chinese take-away from the muggle restaurant down the street. Climbing into bed, she wondered at the turn her life had taken.

All-in-all, she decided, she couldn't complain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: In the books, Buckbeak lives in Sirius' mother's bedroom, but I'm leaving him out of the story just to make it easier on myself. 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	9. No Longer A Lone Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: We meet the 'brother' in this chapter. In my head I picture him as a German version of Paulo Lorador from Cirque du Soleil. If you're not familiar with Cirque, google Marco and Paulo Lorador or look them up on youtube. They are absolutely amazing. Paulo is the blonde on the bottom. Also, Cirque is sort of what I have in mind for the circus Jeannie grew up in.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Maximillian Kruger was a mountain of a man. Standing 6'4" and weighing 260 pounds, he was almost always the biggest guy in the room. A master of hand-to-hand balance, he had been with the circus since his early teens. Before that, he had been an only child, living with his parents in their home on the outskirts of Baden-Baden, Germany. His father had been a clock-maker and his mother a seamstress. Max had been a regular child- going to school, playing with his friends, occasionally getting into trouble. He was a big boy, easily a head taller than his peers and his father had told him at a young age that he'd have to be extra careful because of his size. All-in-all, they lived a peaceful existence- that is, until Max became a teenager.

That was when his life had changed. When Max was thirteen years old, his family began hearing rumours of something evil. The town of Baden-Baden sat on the edge of the Black Forest and it was not too uncommon for a bear or wildcat to stray onto their property. However, this was no wildcat. The town's residents were hearing reports of a wolf-like creature, and a trail of bodies left in it's wake. It seemed as though some strange wild animal was deliberately seeking out towns and villages and hunting people. Seven bodies in six months had been found so far in the surrounding areas, and the reports were all the same.

Each person had lived just outside of town, close to the forest. Each had lived alone- except for the elderly couple in Altensteig- and all had been mauled almost beyond recognition, their bodies sometimes ripped apart limb from limb. An expert had come to town claiming to be a Professor of Natural Studies from some university in England that Max had never heard of. He visited the scenes, spoke to the residents, and even spent several days combing the woods looking for the animal. Something about this 'expert' didn't seem quite right to Max, but he just assumed that since the man was a foreigner, he was different. He had never met a foreigner, so what did he know?

His family took precautions, of course. They began locking every window and door before going to bed and Max was no longer allowed to be out after dark, just to be safe. His father had bought Max a gun and taught him how to use it. His mother, too, learned to shoot and even spent some time talking to the expert from England, who'd given her the name of his boarding house and told her to call him immediately if she heard anything. He told her to be extra careful around the full moon, because that's when the creature seemed to like to attack and under no circumstances was she to leave the safety of her house on that night.

But it was no use. In August of 1973, the moon rose full and fearsome in the sky. Max's father made one last check of the house and grounds, his mother locked up, and they went to bed. The next thing Max knew, he was woken by an ungodly howling sound coming from outside and he heard his father rushing about the house, telling his mother to get that Professor on the phone. He heard his mother talking, calling for help, and then he heard a window crash. Grabbing his gun, he headed towards the noise, and what he saw nearly scared him to death.

The creature in his house stood nearly seven feet tall and walked on it's hind legs. It looked like a cross between a wolf and a man, with an animal's muzzle and large yellow eyes. It was hunched over, eyeing Max's father carefully before suddenly making it's move. Max's father raised his gun, ready to shoot, but the creature was too quick. Screams echoed through the night as another victim fell. Max shot at the creature, but in his fright, he missed. As he aimed his gun again, it went for his mother. This time, Max did make contact, but that seemed only to enrage the creature, and it took it's anger out on his mother.

The poor woman never stood a chance, and when she was dead, it turned towards Max. The teenager emptied his gun into the creature as it stalked toward him, and it worked. Dropping to the floor in a pool of it's own blood, it let out a mournful howl and laid still. In a trance, Max approached it slowly, taking in it's features. Rough skin with patches of grey fur, long claws and even longer teeth peeking out from it's hackles. Hearing a sound at the door, Max looked up to see the Professor enter his house holding what looked like a stick in his hand. Their eyes met and, in his distraction, Max didn't notice the creature's eyes flutter open one last time. He did, however, feel the bite near his ankle and see the Professor wave his stick, shooting a green light at the monster.

That was the last thing Max remembered. When he awoke, he was in a closed ward of Gobel Babelin Wizarding Hospital in Wurzburg with the Professor sitting by his bed and trying to explain that he was now a werewolf. Being a Muggle, none of what he was hearing made sense and he argued angrily until the Professor took out that stick of his and conjured fresh flowers for his bedside. Stunned into silence, Max vaguely recalled the Professor leaving him several books and promising to check on him later. Max read every book he could find on the subject of Lycanthropy but, at the time, nothing could help. It would be several years before Damocles Belby succeeded in creating the Wolfsbane Potion and it was decided that, in order to keep everyone safe- and Max's condition secret, it would be best if he joined the circus.

So that's what happened. A traveling circus was a magnet for every weirdo, outcast and freak, and it wouldn't be the first time a werewolf hid out with them. The members of the circus were united in their abnormalities, and Max was assured that it was the only place he could live relatively comfortably without persecution. The Professor had gone back to Baden-Baden and explained very simply that Max Kruger had been seriously injured in the attack that had claimed his parents lives, and that he had been taken to a specialist to seek treatment, but that the chances of his returning to his hometown were slight. It was a suitable enough lie, and one that allowed Max to make the change immediately. The only thing Max regretted was somehow forgetting to get the name of the Professor that had helped him.

The circus that he joined was gaining in popularity and planning to move to America. That was fine with Max, as he felt that the distance would be good for him- easier to make a fresh start. They arrived in Los Angeles in October of 1973 and, after their first show, Max was helping to clean out the stands of trash that had been left behind when he stumbled upon what he thought was a bunch of blankets. When he picked up the bundle, however, the top layer fell away revealing an infant. The baby was asleep, dressed in pink and a label had been pinned to her top reading 'Jeannie Jones'. Not knowing what to do, Max took the baby to the old woman who did the fortune telling. She said she had been hearing a baby crying all night long in her mind's eye and that this must be the child.

The circus put an ad in the paper, printed flyers that were given out during shows, and even went on Muggle radio trying to find the parents of Jeannie Jones. No one ever came forward, and when the circus packed up to leave town, Jeannie went with them. That was fine with Max, as he had developed a rather good relationship with the baby. Having just lost his own family, he found himself drawn to the orphaned girl. He helped the women feed her and bathe her and it was not uncommon for him to be found in between his training sessions with Jeannie asleep on his chest. Despite his size, Max became an accomplished acrobat and when Jeannie got old enough, he began training her as well. They were brother and sister since the day he found her and neither would have it any other way. So when she told him that she and Tonks had joined the resistance and they needed him, he didn't hesitate.

* * *

 

"Charlie Weasley," said Sirius, offering his hand.

"Sirius Black," responded Charlie, taking Sirius' hand. "I haven't seen you since - I don't know, I was six or seven, I guess."

"Sounds about right. I remember Ginny had just been born."

"It's good to see you, mate," Charlie said earnestly. He had just floo'd into the kitchen at headquarters after spending the day with his mother, who had filled him in on things she couldn't put in letters while doing her shopping. "I hear you've met Jeannie Jones."

Sirius chuckled. "Yeah, quite a bird, that one. Supposed to bring her brother with her for the meeting tonight."

"Brother? Oh, you mean Max?" asked Charlie.

"Dunno. She just said she was bringing her brother and that he wasn't a wizard, but he was a werewolf."

Charlie nodded. "Sounds like Max. Did she say anything else about him?"

"No, is there something I should know?" Sirius asked, puzzled.

"Not really, I just don't want you to be caught off guard. See, she calls him her brother, but there's no blood relation. He was the one who found her when she was a baby and they've been really close ever since. The thing is, Max is massive," Charlie explained.

"What do you mean 'massive'?"

"I mean, he may not fit through the doorway. It's a bit of a shock when you first see them together because of the size difference. He's basically the polar opposite of tiny little Jeannie. Taller than Remus and about three times as bulky, and it's all muscle."

"That would be funny seeing them walk down the street together," Sirius said, grinning. "Did you just get back in the country?"

Charlie nodded. "Mum said everybody's staying here for now?"

"Yeah. Come on, I'll show you around," Sirius said, leading Charlie out of the kitchen. As they reached the front hall, Sirius put a finger to his lips to let Charlie know to stay quiet while going past his mother's curtains, then gave him a quick tour before heading down to the sitting room to meet up with the rest of the household. They sat around for a while as they waited for everyone else to arrive. There was an Order meeting that night and with Charlie and Bill back in England and Jeannie bringing her brother, it was going to be a full kitchen. Sirius as just getting ready to pour drinks for everyone when Jeannie appeared in the doorway, a huge blonde man behind her.

"Hey, guys," she said. "I want you to meet my brother, Max." Jeannie stepped aside to let the giant into the room, then led him over to Remus, knowing that the two would have a lot in common. Charlie sent Sirius a look and Sirius grinned, remembering their conversation from earlier. Charlie was right, Max almost didn't fit through the doorway. Sirius took a moment to admire Jeannie's attire. She had opted for a long purple hippie skirt and a black racer-back tank top that showed off her defined shoulders. The ballet flats she wore did nothing to help her height (or lack of) and made her look even tinier next to her hulking 'brother'.

"- and Sirius Black," Jeannie finished. After introducing Max to Remus, she had gone around the room, pointing everyone out. The girls had looked a bit frightened of him at first, but he smiled kindly at them and that had helped. He knew he was naturally intimidating, and he didn't want anyone here afraid of him.

"Would you like a drink, Max?" Sirius asked, gesturing to the bottles on top of the liquor cabinet he was leaning against.

"Sure, I'd love one," Max replied with a German accent, to Sirius' surprise.

"Firewhiskey okay?"

"That's fine. Thanks."

"Okay, everybody," said Molly, sticking her head around the door. "Dumbledore's here."

They filed down to the kitchen for the meeting and found Tonks stumbling out of the floo. Max stepped forward to steady her and, when she saw who was helping her, she gave a squeal and threw her arms around him. Chuckling, he lifted her up and hugged her back, then sat her down and pulled out a chair for her. As everyone took seats around the table, Dumbledore called the meeting to order.

"Jeannie, I assume this is the person you spoke of last meeting?" he asked.

"Yes. Max Kruger, Albus Dumbledore," she said, making the introduction.

"Mr. Kruger, Jeannie tells me that you are not a wizard. Is that correct?" Dumbledore asked.

"That is correct. I am, technically, a magical creature because of my condition, but I do not own a wand and cannot perform magic," Max said.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "I think it would be a good idea for you and Remus to get together sometime and compare notes, if that is alright with you. Am I correct in placing your accent as German?"

"Yes, I am from the Black Forest region."

"Ah, that makes sense. Were you bitten during the troubles of 1973, perhaps?" Dumbledore pressed.

Max looked surprised. "Yes, I was. My parents were killed in the attack and I was the only survivor. Did you know the Professor that came to our town?"

"Indeed I did," answered Dumbledore. " Although he was no Professor. He took that title because the Muggles wouldn't understand the term 'Potions Master'. That, my boy, was Damocles Belby."

"The inventor of Wolfsbane?" Remus asked.

"The very same," Dumbledore confirmed. "Now, onto other matters."

* * *

 

The meeting went on for nearly an hour, with Jeannie whispering information in Max's ear like Tonks had done for her during the last meeting. Finally, everyone had given their reports and their opinions (mostly in the form of grunts from Moody) and Dumbledore declared them done for the evening. Thanking them all for coming, he politely refused Molly's offer of food and headed for the floo. As before, once most of the Order members had gone, Molly called the kids for supper. She absolutely insisted that Jeannie, Max and Tonks stay - which was fine with Jeannie because she hadn't had a chance to say hello to Charlie yet. Sneaking up behind him as he was talking to Arthur, she pounced, landing on his back and forcing him to carry her piggy-back style.

"Hey, you," he said, turning his head to see her.

"Hey, yourself. When did you get in?" she asked.

"Just before you. Been good?"

"Yeah. Real good. You?"

"Alright. Few more burns, but it comes with the territory. Can't deal with dragons without dealing with fire."

"I've got a few more tattoos. I'll show you sometime."

"Sounds good."

"Should I leave you two alone?" Arthur cut in, grinning.

Jeannie smiled at him. Climbing off Charlie's back, she moved to the older man and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You know you're the only one for me, pops."

Arthur smiled fondly at her and kissed the top of her head. "Better go grab a plate before these bums eat it all," he said.

"Yes, sir," she said, giving him a salute, then headed over to Molly, who was currently filling a plate for Max.

"It's good to finally meet you, Frau Weasley," he was saying. "I've heard nothing but good things about you."

"It's good to meet you, too, dear. We've heard such good things about you as well. Now," she handed him his plate with a kind smile, "why don't you go sit next to Tonks and catch up, hmm?"

Supper was a raucous affair due to all the catching-up to be done, and they even managed to get into a minor food fight before Molly decided that she'd had enough and threatened to withold dessert. One thing struck Jeannie as odd, though. With all the mischief going on around them, the twins were being strangely quiet - keeping to themselves, and only joining in when necessary. They had chosen to sit in the corner and seemed to be debating something back and forth. When supper was over, they stole away quietly, making some excuse to head up to their room. Jeannie decided to find out what was going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I did some research on Germany and have a few notes for you: 1) Baden-Baden is on the northern edge of the Black Forest. 2) The Black Forest does have large animals like bears and wildcats. 3) Gobel Babelin is listed as one of the victims of the Wurzburg Witch Trials of 1626-1631 and was probably burned at the stake. 4) Wurzburg is only about 150 miles northeast of Baden-Baden. 5) The Black Forest area is famous for it's clock-makers. I don't know anything about traveling circus' in the area, but since Jeannie, Max and the circus are my own inventions, I'm taking some license with it. Also, I am making Max the same age as Remus and Sirius, in case that wasn't clear. So, thoughts? Questions? Compliants? Do you think that I'm portraying people accurately? Do you like Jeannie and the dynamic she brings? One more thing - I know where this story is going and how it ends, but I'm open to suggestions about scenes you'd like to see. Drop me a line and I'll see what I can do.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	10. How To Sneak Up On A Werewolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This chapter picks up right where the last one left off.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1

Jeannie excused herself from the kitchen, claiming to need the loo but, instead, she followed the twins up to their bedroom. In their haste, the boys hadn't closed their door all the way and, since they weren't paying attention, didn't hear Jeannie approach. She leaned on the door-jam and crossed her arms, watching as they took something that looked like a muggle firecracker out of a box they had stashed under one of the beds. Deciding that she couldn't, in good conscience, spy on them, she cleared her throat and stifled a snort of laughter as both boys leapt to their feet, looking truly terrified. Once they saw that it was only Jeannie, they relaxed a bit, but still looked wary.

"How are we doing tonight, boys?" Jeannie asked.

"Fine," they answered simultaneously.

She raised an eyebrow. "You two were acting very strange at supper. Care to tell me what's going on?"

The boys hesitated and Jeannie hurried to reassure them. "You don't have to tell me anything, guys, I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

Fred and George looked at each other and seemed to have a silent conversation, before looking back at Jeannie. "Are you going to go to our mother?" one of them asked.

Jeannie shook her head. "No, not unless you're doing something that I think will harm you or cause trouble for the Order."

The other twin shook his head quickly. "No, nothing like that - it's just..." he broke off, again looking to his brother.

"Well, you see, Mum doesn't exactly approve of what Fred and I are doing," said George, eyeing Jeannie warily.

Jeannie moved into the room and took a seat on the nearest bed. Casting a quick _Muffliato_ on the doorway, she said, "I believe that. Go on."

Fred sighed heavily and sat on the other bed. "See, we have some real ideas for when we get out of school, and Mum doesn't like them because they don't involve going into the Ministry. That's what she wants for us, but we think we've got a better plan."

"We want to open a joke shop," George said.

"Joke shop?" Jeannie repeated.

"Yes, we're going to call it _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_."

"Purveyors of Aides to Magical Mischief Makers," they said proudly.

"We got the idea in our fifth year and started designing things. When we had a few products that we were happy with, we began selling them during the school year to other students - to raise money, you know?" said George.

'When we left for the summer, we started selling through owl-order. We were doing pretty good, too, until Mum decided to clean our room for us one day and found our stuff," Fred said sadly.

"Yeah," continued George. "She had a fit - said that no sons of hers were going to open a joke shop; we were going into the Ministry like dad. Then she destroyed almost everything! All our skivving snackboxes, all our canary creams -"

"And any notebooks she could find with anything that even looked like it wasn't school work. Nearly a year's worth of work down the tubes!" cried Fred.

"Then," said George, "we went to the Quidditch World Cup, and thought that it looked like a good place to run some bets and make a little money. So, we bet all our savings to Ludo Bagman that Ireland would win, but Krum would get the snitch."

"But that's what happened," Jeannie interrupted.

"Yes, it is, but that lousy bastard paid us in leprechaun gold!" Fred nearly shouted.

"Anyway," said George, "at the end of last year, Harry gave us his TriWizard winnings. Said he didn't want the gold because of what it represented, so we've been working our arses off all summer to get back to where we were before Mum threw out our stuff."

"Harry's money is a good start, but we will need more backers, and we're trying to get a business proposal put together as well so we can show it to Sirius and see what he thinks. We know he's loaded - what with the Black family fortune, and all - and since he and Harry's dad and Lupin were pranksters as well, we thought he might be sympathetic to the cause," Fred finished.

Jeannie sat in awe for a moment. Of all the things the twins could have told her! "Wow," she said. "You two are serious about this, aren't you?"

"Dead serious," they said together.

"Would you mind showing me a few things?" she asked.

The boys broke into identical grins and, before she knew it, she was being bombarded with Extendable Ears and fake wands that turned into rubber chickens when you picked them up and things that looked like sweets, but made you ill. Not seriously sick, but just enough to get out of class. Jeannie thought it was brilliant and, if they stayed this determined, they would have a marvelous joke shop. Looking at the clock, however, she realized that she'd been talking to the boys for almost half an hour. Promising to help them talk to Sirius, she made her way back downstairs.

Hearing lots of noise coming from the sitting room, she headed there. Walking through the door, she was immediately spotted by Molly, to her dismay. She had promised the boys that she wouldn't tell on them, but she didn't like the idea of lying to Molly. All the chairs and the spots on the sofas were taken, so she poured herself a glass of Sirius' wine and sat on the floor between the coffee table and his chair.

"D'you want my seat, love?" Sirius asked like a gentleman.

"No, Sirius, I'm fine here," she replied, smiling up at him. He winked at her in response.

"Jeannie, dear, where have you been?" Molly asked, sounding concerned.

Jeannie decided to go with part of the truth. "I was just upstairs talking to Fred and George," she said innocently.

Molly's eyes narrowed. "They weren't trying to drag you into any of their nonsense about a joke-shop, were they?"

"They were telling me about getting to go to the Quidditch World Cup last summer," she said, smiling at the older woman. It was true, they _had_ mentioned that.

"Alright," said Molly, seemingly pacified.

"I think it's about time for bed, don't you Molly, dear?" said Arthur, yawning widely.

"Yes, I suppose so. Children, don't be up too late," she said, getting up. "Oh, Jeannie, we're going to have a bit of a party on the 31st to celebrate Harry's acquittal and Hermione and Ron being made prefects. You will come, won't you?"

"Of course! I love parties" Jeannie said, excited.

"Lovely. Goodnight, everyone." A chorus of 'goodnight's' followed, and that's when Jeannie noticed that the werewolves were missing from the group.

"Where are Max and Remus?" she asked Sirius, moving to sit in the middle of the sofa that Molly and Arthur had vacated.

"Upstairs. Dumbledore asked them to get together, remember?" he answered.

Jeannie nodded.

"I think it's high time I pranked Lupin," Sirius said, out of the blue. "Any ideas?" he asked the room at large.

"Pranking a werewolf is so easy," said Jeannie, chuckling.

"Oh, on the contrary," Sirius disagreed. "If they don't see it coming, they hear it coming. If they don't hear it coming, they smell it coming. That's why it's so gratifying - because there's so much effort involved."

"No, it's really quite easy if it's done right. Although I agree, it is rather gratifying."

"Alright, then," Sirius said, looking thoroughly skeptical. "How would you do it?"

"You sneak up on them," Jeannie said simply.

"But you _can't_ sneak up on them! Their senses are too good - believe me, I've tried," Sirius argued.

"Well, you may have tried, but I've succeeded. On numerous occasions, I might add," said Jeannie, watching Sirius' eyes narrow.

"Look, love, I shared a dorm with a werewolf for seven years, and I absolutely don't believe that you can simply _sneak up_ on one. Hell, _I_ can smell you about the house and I'm only an animagus. It can't be done," he stated firmly.

"Yes, it can," Jeannie maintained.

"Can't."

"Can."

"Can't."

Jeannie sighed, but then she had an idea. "Care to make it interesting?" she asked, slyly.

Sirius grinned slowly. "That depends," he said, his voice deepening. "Just how _interesting_ are you willing to get?"

"Very," she said, matching his tone.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," said Charlie, laughter in his voice.

Sirius glanced sideways at him, then looked back at Jeannie. "You're that confident, are you?" he asked and she nodded. "Alright, then, state your terms," he challenged, pulling out his wand and conjuring a piece of parchment on which the terms of the bet would be recorded. He sent the magical contract over to Jeannie, making it hover in front of her, awaiting her instructions.

"I, Jeannie Jones, hereby bet Sirius Black that I can and will successfully sneak up on the werewolf Remus Lupin within one week of this contract's drafting," the words appearing on the parchment as she spoke them. "If I win (which I will), Sirius agrees to fund a business venture for some friends of mine who wish to remain anonymous at this time." Jeannie looked over at Sirius to see if that was agreeable to him. He looked a little confused, but nodded. "If I lose (which I won't), the punishment will be... " she thought about it for a moment, then grinned. "The punishment will be Sirius' choice, to administer as he sees fit."

Sirius' eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline as he heard that. Running a hand along his jaw, he knew she had him. There was no way in hell that he was going to pass that up, so, ignoring the giggles from everyone in the room, he brought the parchment back to hover in front of him. "I, Sirius Black, agree to the terms set out by Jeannie Jones, and I make a few provisions. 1) That the prank be carried out in front of me for verification. 2) That Remus Lupin not be made aware, under any circumstances, of this contract until it is completed. 3) That Remus Lupin admits, in my presence, to having no idea about this for further verification. 4) That everyone in this room keeps their mouths shut about it. If any of these provisions are broken, the punishment will be Sirius' choice, to administer as I see fit."

Sirius had a bit of experience with magical contracts, and was determined to erase any and all loopholes that would interfere with 'Sirius' choice' - the possibilities of which were already dancing around in his head. Signing the contract, he sent it back over to Jeannie to sign, then sent it to each of the room's occupants in turn to get their signatures. Hermione looked slightly disapproving of the whole thing, but she signed anyway. Not a moment too soon, either, as Remus and Max walked into the room just as Sirius was stuffing the parchment into his robes for safe-keeping. The room watched as the two werewolves stopped, sensing the small amount of tension in the room. Jeannie watched Remus' nostrils flare slightly, testing the air. Max was much less subtle, blatantly sniffing around before looking at his sister.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, Max. Sirius and I just had a minor disagreement, that's all." She knew she had to be careful, as lying was a very pungent odor and one that would be immediately spotted. "You know how I hate to be told what I can't do," she added.

Max nodded, knowing that to be the truth. "I'd be careful about that if I were you," he said to Sirius, taking a seat next to Jeannie.

"I'll keep that in mind," Sirius said, grinning.

Remus sat on the other side of Jeannie, eyeing his friend carefully. He knew Sirius was up to something, he just didn't know what. They sat around talking for a bit longer, before the kids' eyes began to droop. Sirius declared then that it was time for bed, and Jeannie and Max stood up to leave as well.

Jeannie looked up at Max. "Well, what do you want - floo or apparition?" she asked him, grinning as he made a face. Max hated all kinds of magical travel.

"Apparition," he said. "My flat isn't connected to the floo network and I don't want to take a taxi."

"Whatever you say. Kids, sleep well. Remus, Max is familiar with owl post if you need him. Sirius," she said, turning to face the handsome wizard, "always a pleasure."

"Pleasure's all mine, love," he said, grinning.

Jeannie sent him a wink and grabbed Max's hand, turning on the spot and disapparating with a _crack_.

* * *

 

Jeannie wouldn't have a chance to win her bet for three days, but when the opportunity did come, it was perfect. The day before the party, Tonks had the day off, so she and Jeannie had done some shopping and had lunch out, then decided to go and waste some time at Grimmauld. She'd told Tonks about the bet, as Tonks and Kingsley had left right after the meeting for guard duty and hadn't been there to hear the details.

"I can't believe you're letting him pick the punishment!" Tonks said, laughing.

"Well, I knew he wouldn't be able to resist that and now the twins will have their financial backer. It's a win-win," Jeannie explained.

"Only _if_ you win," Tonks reminded her.

"There's no way I can lose! I used to do this to Max all the time. I've got nothing to worry about," Jeannie insisted.

She really didn't have anything to worry about. It was almost too easy. When she and Tonks had floo'd into Grimmauld's sitting room, they had found the house in a state of mild chaos. Ron had, of course, left his homework until the last possible moment, and Hermione was fussing at him about it, with Harry looking on, clearly amused. The twins were teasing Bill about his French girlfriend, and Molly was running around hap-hazardly, trying to make sure that everyone had their clothing and their books and their trunks packed. Sirius was in his favorite chair and Remus on the sofa nearest to him and, to Jeannie's luck, facing away from the door.

"Hello, ladies," said Sirius in greeting.

"Hey, everybody. Got everything together yet?" Tonks asked the kids, taking a seat next to Hermione.

Jeannie met Sirius' eye and decided that now was the time. "I'm going to the loo, I'll be right back," she announced.

Once she was in the hallway, however, she pulled out her wand and waved it around herself, cloaking herself in a modified containment spell that she'd invented years ago. It wasn't a disillusionment charm, as she could still be seen, but it did block anyone outside her little bubble from hearing her footsteps or smelling her - particularly handy when sneaking up on unsuspecting werewolves. Since Remus had his back to the door, his ears and his nose were the only things she had to worry about. Peeking her head around the door, she met Sirius' eye again and he raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything. Remus had gotten caught up in yet another conversation with Hermione about creature's rights and wasn't paying any attention to what might be behind him. The boys, too, were oblivious. Only Tonks and Ginny, who was seated directly in front of Remus, noticed Jeannie creeping up behind him.

Jeannie put her finger to her lips and Ginny's mouth twitched in response. Slowly, she made her way into the room until she stood, completely undetected, directly behind Remus. Leaning down towards him, she watched carefully as he debated Hermione on some point of legislature. Giving Ginny a sly wink and seeing Sirius' eyes widen, she leaned in even closer. Licking her lips for show, she opened her mouth and bit him directly on the neck.

Remus nearly howled in fright and leapt up, spinning around to face his attacker and losing his balance in the process. Tumbling backwards over the coffee table, and knocking over several textbooks, he landed on his arse with his head on Ginny's knee and one leg draped over the table. Panting and wide-eyed, he put a hand to his neck as the room burst out laughing, Sirius almost falling out of his chair.

"What the... How did you... No biting!" Remus stammered, much to the amusement of the room's occupants. Slowly, his breathing calmed down and he pulled himself into a more dignified position, though still sitting on the floor. "What the hell?!"

Jeannie waved her wand again, removing the spell. "Sorry, Remus, see I made a bet with Sirius- "

"I knew it!" Remus cut her off, pointing at his friend, who was wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "I knew you were up to something the other night! You bastard!"

Sirius' only reply was to dissolve into another fit of not very manly giggles.

"You didn't know about the bet until just now, though, right? Nobody said anything?"" Jeannie asked, making sure all of Sirius' stipulations in the contract were fulfilled.

"No, nobody said anything. Wait," said Remus, thinking about it. "How did you do that? You can't sneak up on a werewolf."

"That's what I said," said Sirius, in between gasping for breath. "But, apparently, you can!"

Jeannie gave a short explanation of the spell she used, then looked to Sirius. "I believe I win," she said.

Sirius smiled at her. "You know, I don't even mind being bested this time - that was absolutely phenomenal," he said, taking the contract and handing it to her as per the rules of magical bet contracts. With these contracts, the person being challenged held the contract until the bet was won or lost, then surrendered the contract to the winner (if need be), who held onto it until the full terms were concluded. So, because Jeannie challenged Sirius, he held the contract until she fulfilled her end of the bet, and because Jeannie won the bet, she would hold the contract until Sirius funded whatever friend's business needs she was talking about on the night of the bet.

"Thank you," she said, tucking the contract into her back pocket.

"Are you going to tell me who these friends in need are?" Sirius asked.

"I'll tell you all about it..." she thought for a minute, "at the party."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: How did everyone like Jeannie pranking Remus? This was really one of my favourite chapters to write!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	11. Headed Back To Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Lots of Sirius and Jeannie coming up soon!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Sirius had been all for letting Molly throw a party, as he was sad about Harry going back to school. While he knew, better than anyone, how good it felt to go back to Hogwarts, there was a part of him that was almost disappointed that Harry hadn't been expelled, because then the teenager could have stayed at Grimmauld with him. It was selfish, he knew, but he'd had precious little to be selfish about over the last 15 years or so, and he was tempted to allow himself this one weakness. _Well, perhaps two weaknesses,_ he thought, as he watched Jeannie walk in.

The young woman was quickly getting under his skin, and this evening she arrived looking like something straight out of one of his fantasies. Wearing the tight black jeans she'd worn the first time he'd seen her, this time with high heeled black boots, a white button-down shirt and a black leather jacket, she could easily have just climbed off the back of his old motorbike. She hadn't put her hair up either, letting it fall down her back like a waterfall instead. Her dark eyes peeked out from under her fringe and looked around the room.

"You know," Sirius said, getting her attention. "I had this dream." He gestured to her attire and smirked suggestively.

"Good dream, I hope," she said, playing along.

"Very, very good." He watched as she came to sit by him. "Where's Max?"

"Coming later. Is Molly okay?" she asked. "She seemed a little flustered."

Sirius' face darkened. "Ran into a boggart earlier. Remus had to take care of it for her because she couldn't stay in the room."

Jeannie nodded grimly. "I imagine it turned into the kids?"

"And Arthur and you and me and basically everyone in this house - with the possible exception of Mundungus."

Jeannie made a face. She didn't much like 'Dung and made a point of ignoring him as much as possible. Why the Order insisted on using him, she would never know - if they had needed an ear to the ground, who better to go to than circus folk? She could've given them half a dozen spies who, unlike 'Dung, could be trusted to not run off with the silverware. Deciding to change the subject, Jeannie looked around the room to make sure that everyone was occupied and paying no attention to her and Sirius.

"Shall I tell you what business you'll be funding?" she asked quietly.

Sirius leaned forward so they wouldn't be overheard. "I'm all ears," he said.

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Ever heard of it?"

"No," Sirius shook his head.

"The twins are inventors. It's not just about pranking anymore, they've actually _invented_ stuff. Molly wants them to follow in Arthur's footsteps when they leave school, but they've decided they want to open a joke shop. The reason you've never heard of it is because Molly found out about their plan last summer, threw out all their stuff and banned them from even talking about it," she explained.

"So that's what you were really doing upstairs with them last week?" Sirius asked. "And the reason for the occasional explosions from their room?"

Jeannie nodded. "I didn't know about it, I just noticed that they were acting funny during supper, so I went upstairs to ask if they were all right and they let me in on it. With the promise that I wouldn't go to their mother, of course. Showed me some things, too. Said they'd been trying to put together a business proposal for you but hadn't been able to get around Molly yet."

"A business proposal for me?"

"Yeah, they said you and Remus and James Potter were big-time pranksters in school and since you've got lots of money, they thought they could find a way to partner with you. Harry gave them his winnings from last year, but that will only take them so far. They need a real backer. What do you say?"

Sirius sat back in his chair, clearly mulling this over. He knew the twins were 'honorary Marauders' from what Remus had told him, and he'd even caught them with those Extendable Ears trying to overhear Order stuff, but he didn't realize it went any further than that.

"I want to see their stuff," he said, finally.

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Jeannie said, smiling.

And so it was. After Molly sent the kids to bed, Jeannie took Max home because magical transportation was so much quicker. Instead of going home, however, she'd apparated right back to Grimmauld. Directly into the twins bedroom, to be exact, as they had agreed to earlier in order to circumvent Molly. Within minutes of getting things set up for Sirius, a quiet scratching was heard at the door. Fred opened the door, and an enormous shaggy black mutt trotted in. Jeannie was momentarily puzzled; she'd forgotten that Sirius was an animagus, having never seen him in animal form, and something about this dog looked familiar.

Transforming, Sirius looked at Jeannie who'd forgotten completely about whatever Weasley product was in her hand at the moment and was staring at him strangely. "I didn't mean to startle you, Jeannie. It's just that sometimes I'm quieter as a dog."

Jeannie cocked her head to the side. "Transform again. Please," she added.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, but did as she asked and in seconds the dog returned.

"You look so familiar," she said, her frown deepening. "I just can't think of where I've seen you."

"Been sneaking out against Moody's orders, Sirius?" one of the twins joked as Jeannie shook her head and the dog became a man once more.

"I wish," Sirius said somewhat bitterly. "I didn't frighten you, did I?" he asked Jeannie.

"Nah, I just know I've seen you before somewhere, but I can't place it," she explained. "It's going to irritate me until I figure it out."

Then the boys got down to business, showing Sirius the products they'd shown Jeannie plus others she hadn't had time to see. Sirius was very impressed and told the boys to put some numbers together when they had a chance and they could talk more about it over Christmas. They all knew that the Ministry was beginning to intercept owls and some floo networks were being monitored, so the possibility of a face-to-face meeting before the holidays was very slim.

"Ideally, we'd like to open a Hogsmeade branch as well. For the students, you know," said George, putting things away while Fred made notes.

"Hogsmeade!" Jeannie exclaimed, the lights going off in her head. She pointed to Sirius. " _That's_ where I saw you! Two years ago I was headed to Hogwarts to play a concert there. I'd had lunch with Tonks and on my way to the Front Gates some mangy black mutt starting following me. You looked so skinny and pitiful that I gave you my leftovers."

"Hmm, I don't remember that," Sirius said, thinking. "But I was in Hogsmeade two years ago and I _was_ relying on scraps from sympathetic people, so it's entirely possible." He shook his head to clear it. "Alright, fellows, I think that's enough for tonight. We all have to be up early in the morning. Care for a night-cap?" he asked Jeannie.

"No, I'm tired. Rain-check?"

Sirius winked and nodded. "I'll be here."

* * *

 

The next morning Jeannie floo'd into Grimmauld's kitchen at the peak of the 'we're-going-to-be-late-for-the-train' insanity. Clothes were flying, cauldrons were knocked over and trunks crashed into each other as they were filled with everything that had been forgotten, despite everyone having sworn up and down the night before that they'd done their packing already. Molly was looking more frazzled than ever as she promised Sirius that she'd finish cleaning up from breakfast as soon as she got back.

"It's _fine_ , Molly," Sirius said, looking over at Jeannie and rolling his eyes. "Don't worry about it."

"Oh, I know," she said distractedly. "I just hate leaving a mess."

"Tell you what, Mom," Jeannie interjected as she picked her way through the rubble to sit at the table next to Sirius. "You focus on getting the kids to the train and I'll take care of the dishes. Deal?"

"Oh, you are a dear. Thank you. We shouldn't be long and I'll help as soon as I get back. Fred! George!" Molly shouted as the boys' trunks came flying down the stairs.

"Are they letting you see Harry off?" Jeannie asked Sirius.

"No, but I'm going anyway," he said, looking at her defiantly as if daring her to tell him not to.

"Okay, just be extra careful, yeah?" she answered. Jeannie was pretty good at picking her fights and, even though she didn't know Sirius very well, she could tell today was weighing on him. She suspected that the distraction the kids provided was the only thing keeping him from going completely stir-crazy in his mother's house.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going?" he asked.

"Nope. I've been deemed 'too recognizable' and Dumbledore doesn't want me seen in the company of the Order. He seems to think if Harry Potter and I show up in the same place at the same time, it may cause trouble for us."

"Alright, everyone," Molly called. "Say your good-byes. We're off."

Jeannie stood up and hugged all the kids, ignoring how Ron and Harry blushed. "Have a good term. See you soon," she said, sharing a meaningful look with the twins.

"Sirius, Dumbledore said no!" shouted Molly as Sirius, in dog form, clawed at the door and whined, clearly desperate for some fresh air.

"Be careful," Jeannie said quietly as Tonks passed her. The pink-haired witch smiled and they gave each other a kiss on the cheek before Tonks headed out the door, tripping over her own feet as she did so. "Dumb-ass!" Jeannie called, to which Tonks responded with her middle finger, not even bothering to turn around. Chuckling, Jeannie eyed the dishes from breakfast. Flicking her wand several times, she set the dishes to work cleaning themselves, then helped herself to some of the leftover bacon and a glass of orange juice.

As expected, Molly was furious when she, Remus and Sirius made it back to the house. The rest of the Order had dispersed after the train left, heading in different directions for work and errands leaving only the three of them going back to headquarters. From what Jeannie could gather from their yelling match, Sirius had stayed in dog form the whole time, but one of the boys in Harry's year seemed to recognize him. Possibly the son of a Death Eater, she thought, watching Remus sink tiredly into the chair next to hers and run a hand over his face. It was clear that the last place he wanted to be at the moment was in between Sirius and Molly.

"It didn't go well, then?" she asked him.

Remus shrugged wearily. "I wish I knew of somewhere safe to take Sirius," he said. "Every once in a while - when it gets too much. Just a place that's not here."

"Well," Jeannie said. "I've been thinking about that. See, when I finished this last tour, I came straight back to England. I had been renting a flat, but I decided that I really needed somewhere that was mine, to do with as I pleased. I found this building that had been a small auto-repair shop in Muggle London with living quarters above the shop. I bought it and put up a bunch of Muggle-repelling wards around it, like St. Mungo's has. To anyone walking down the street, it just looks like a shop that's closed down. The thing is, I haven't really had time to make the changes I want to make and unpack all my stuff because I only moved in a couple of months ago. So I was thinking, if we put up enough protections on the place, maybe Sirius could come over and help me with it. Do you think he'd go for that?"

Remus sat back and pursed his lips, thinking it over. "I think Sirius would go for anything right about now," he said, as they heard the yelling stop and a door slam from somewhere upstairs.

"Why don't you come over and check the place out? Help me with the wards? I doubt you'll be missed for a while," Jeannie said. Remus nodded and they left a note for Molly, then floo'd over to Jeannie's place.

Stepping out of the fireplace, Remus took a look around. Boxes and furniture and strange-looking equipment filled the area that had been the repair shop. Some of the furniture was still wrapped in plastic, telling him that Jeannie had bought it recently, but hadn't had a chance to set it all up yet.

"What is all this?" he asked, gesturing to a piece of equipment.

"That's all my gym stuff," she said. "For training, you know?"

Judging by the look on Remus' face, he didn't know.

"It's work-out equipment to help a person stay in shape. I was an acrobat, remember? When you're an athlete of any kind, you have to work out to maintain a certain physicality. All that equipment over there is designed for that."

"Oh," said Remus blankly. Having never been to a 'gym' or had any desire to 'work-out', he was going to have to take her word on that.

"Come on, I'll show you the upstairs," she said, walking over to a spiral staircase.

She and Remus spent the next hour going over what wards needed to be on the building and setting them up. Remus figured that this was about as good as it was going to get in terms of a secondary safe house for Sirius seeing as nobody knew that Jeannie was in the Order and only Max and Tonks knew where this building was. As long as Sirius wasn't seen coming in or out, it should be fine. Once he was satisfied with the protections, Remus suggested that now would be a good time to bring Sirius over. The man had not had a good morning, and Remus didn't want him spending too much time brooding like he'd done before the kids had arrived for the summer.

Molly was in the kitchen having a cup of tea when Jeannie and Remus stepped out of the floo. "Thank you so much, dear, for doing the washing up this morning," she said, upon seeing Jeannie.

"Oh, no problem Molly," Jeannie answered. "Where's Sirius?"

The older woman rolled her eyes. "Still upstairs, I think. I haven't seen him since our argument. I suppose I was a bit harsh with him, but I just want him to be safe."

"I know, Molly," Remus said, "but since when have you known Sirius to do what's best for himself?"

"Reckless man," she said exasperatedly.

"Which room is his?" Jeannie asked Remus.

"The one directly across from the twins'. Do you want me to get him? He may be in a mood," Remus warned.

"Nah, I got this," she said, giving him a grin and heading upstairs. Finding the twins' room, she turned and knocked on the door on the other side of the hall.

"What?" came a clearly still pissed-off voice.

"Can I come in?" she called through the door. After a moment, she heard the latch click and saw the doorknob turn. Pushing the door open, she stepped inside. The room looked like the other bedrooms in the house with the notable exception of red and gold hangings around the bed instead of green and silver. A large four-poster bed sat opposite a fireplace and the walls were covered in pictures of Muggle girls on motorbikes in various states of undress. The sole occupant of the room lay sprawled on the bed with his hands tucked behind his head and a sour look on his face.

"Nice," she commented with a grin, looking at the half-naked girls.

"Not that I don't enjoy having you around," he said, ignoring her observation, "but I'm in a bit of a mood right now and I really don't want to take it out on you."

"Ah, yes - well, on that point - how would you like to get out for a bit?" she asked, watching his face darken.

"I'm not allowed to 'get out for a bit', in case you weren't listening earlier. It's not safe," he said through gritted teeth.

"Right," Jeannie said absently. "Are those rat bones?" she asked, spotting small carcases on the floor near the window.

"Probably. I used to have a hippogriff here."

"You had a what? In here?" she asked incredulously.

"A hippogriff. Long story, but he went to live with Hagrid when the kids came."

"Um - okay." Jeannie shook herself and turned her attention back to Sirius. "Now - about getting out," she said, and his eyes narrowed. "Technically, it wouldn't be 'out' because you'd still be 'in', but you wouldn't be in _here_. Does that make sense?"

"No," he said shortly.

Jeannie moved towards him, leaned against the post at the end of the bed and smiled gently at him. "Remus and I went over to my place today and put up a bunch of protective wards so you could come over. I just moved in and have a lot of stuff I need to get done and I was thinking that, if you wanted to, you could come to my place for a while and help me out. Or just come over and talk to me while I work. Max and Tonks are the only other people who know where I live and nobody knows that I have connections to you, so there would be no reason anyone would be looking for you. Would you like to come over?"

Sirius blinked a few times, then rolled himself into a sitting position. "Let me see if I've got this right. You're offering to let me come over to your place so I can get out of here for a while?"

"Yes."

"And Remus knows about this?"

"Yes."

"And Remus is okay with this?"

"Yes."

"Does Dumbledore know?"

"No," she said. "Well, he knows where I live, but he doesn't know about you going over there. I'll tell him, of course, but since Remus couldn't find a problem with it, I don't see the need to wait around for Dumbledore. Do you?"

"No. Lead the way," he said, already on his feet and headed for the door. Jeannie grinned. This was going to be good for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Now that the kiddies are back at school, we can focus on Sirius and Jeannie!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	12. An Afternoon Well Spent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: There is a gag in this chapter about Sirius cross-dressing. This was not my idea - the credit for that goes to one of my readers on FFnet. You can find the original a/n there that cites her.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling. I also own nothing related to the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Jeannie followed Sirius out of the bedroom shaking her head amusedly. It amazed her how quickly his moods could shift. She wondered if he'd always been like that or if it was a side-effect of Azkaban. _Probably a bit of both_ , she thought. Not that it mattered, really, because she was starting to become very fond of Sirius and Jeannie knew better than anyone how complex people could be. That was another thing about growing up in the circus - you learned to accept people exactly as they were, no more, no less.

Leaving it to Remus to explain the situation to Molly, Jeannie took Sirius through the sitting room floo instead of the kitchen. Brushing soot off her clothes, she watched him look around in wonder as they came out of her fireplace. She imagined it must have been pretty close to heaven for him to be out of Grimmauld for a while, if only briefly. Sirius slowly made his way into the shop, checking things out along the way. He obviously didn't know any more about gym equipment than Remus did, and Jeannie had to stifle a laugh at the look on his face as he eyed one piece in particular.

"That's called a bench press," she said, breaking the silence. "It's actually Max's. Once we get this stuff set up, I'll show you how to use it if you want."

"How to use it?" Sirius repeated, staring at it as if it was some sort of Muggle torture device.

"Yes, it's for working out. Exercise is a great way to clear the mind and cleanse the body."

"I can think of other ways to clear the mind," he answered, still looking dubiously at the contraption.

"It's not going to bite you, Sirius," she said, moving past him and heading for a few of the larger boxes. "You want to help me sort some of this stuff out?"

"Sure. Where's it going?" he asked, pulling out his wand.

"Well, let's just start opening boxes. If it's clothing or household stuff, send it upstairs. If not, leave it and I'll decide what to do with it later, yeah?"

Sirius nodded and they got to work. Soon, boxes were floating up the spiral staircase and the there were empty spaces instead of just foot-paths for the first time since Jeannie moved in. She hadn't realized that she had this much clothing, but it did tend to accumulate when you travel the world and see things that you absolutely can't live without. It also didn't help that she'd decided to get all new furniture and the only piece of it that she'd set up so far was the bed.

"Oohhh, here we go!" Jeannie said suddenly.

Sirius looked up from the box he was opening to see her standing in front of a record player.

"Have you found any boxes with records, yet?" she asked him.

"No. _Accio Jeannie's records!_ " he said, ducking as three boxes came whizzing past his head, landing neatly next to Jeannie. Making his way over to her, he looked over her shoulder as she picked some music for them.

"What would you like to hear, Sirius?" she asked, thumbing through her records.

"Oh, I don't much care. I'm sure I'm horribly out of touch with the music scene, anyway. You don't pay much attention to pop culture in prison," he said, watching as she flipped through bands he'd never heard of and singers he'd never seen. Unhappy with that box, Jeannie brought the next one over. This time, Sirius did recognize the music. Stunned, he saw _The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Boston, Styx_ \- almost every Muggle band he'd liked growing up was in that box. Jeannie stopped and pulled one out, holding it out to him for inspection. It was _Bad Company's_ self-titled album from 1973; he'd bought it in the summer of 1974 after the school year ended when he'd escaped into Muggle London to get away from his parents for a while.

He couldn't help but grin as the memories came back. That had been a great summer - his first Muggle record store, his first rock album and, incidentally, his first kiss. The girl working behind the counter at the record shop, despite being several years older than him, had decided that she'd liked the way he looked and Sirius, despite being only fourteen, hadn't minded. He'd always been a handsome boy, but in the summer of 1974, he was starting to become a handsome young man thanks to a recent growth spurt, and was very happy to learn how to make the most of it. It had been a bit sloppy and awkward due to his inexperience and the rather uncomfortable brick wall she'd pushed him up against in the alley behind the store, but it was also perfect.

"Right, that's the one," Jeannie said decisively, sending the record player over to the corner where her speakers sat and taking the record from Sirius, sending it over to set itself up. "Back to work!" she ordered playfully, turning him around and giving him a shove as _'Can't Get Enough'_ started coming through the speakers.

Spending the afternoon at Jeannie's place was quickly turning into exactly what Sirius needed. They talked and laughed and played music with no fear whatsoever of Muggles or mothers or Mollys. Sirius even got to tease her a bit as he came across a box of lingerie. Holding up a piece of particularly sheer black lace, he sent her a dirty grin which, to his delight, she returned.

"I think you're a bit butch for that one, don't you?" she said, chuckling.

Sirius, never one to back down from a challenge, held the lace up to his chest and twisted this way and that as if trying to find the right angle.

"Oh, I don't know," he said. "It's the right color!"

Jeannie's chuckles turned into full laughter at the sight of the tattooed, goateed prison escapee appearing to seriously consider pulling a _Rocky Horror Picture_ _Show_ with her underwear. Quickly sifting through a box near her, she found a black lace thong to go with the teddy he was holding and tossed it over to him. He laughed loudly as he caught it, then dropped them both back in the box and sent it upstairs with the rest of the clothing.

By now, Sirius had lost count of the number of times Jeannie had astounded him, and he wasn't really sure how he felt about that. It had been a very long time since someone had piqued his interest so easily and so quickly and it was a bit unsettling. He'd known her for less than a month and she was already worming her way into every part of his life. He decided that he really needed to know more about her. What he wanted was the chance to actually sit down with her and talk. One-on-one, without the distractions of the kids running in and out or Molly adding to his list of things to clean or decontaminate.

Sirius knew, of course, that he was woefully out of practice when it came to things like having 'getting to know you' conversations, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. It wasn't just idle curiosity, he was genuinely interested in Jeannie. He'd thought that he knew a thing or two about girls, but this one was tripping him up at every available opportunity. Also, he wanted to make sure that he wasn't just doing his thinking with his dick, which was a real possibility. In his younger days, Sirius had been handsome and charming and hadn't had to worry about a girl's motives when she pursued him because of that. Now, however, the years had taken their toll on him and he didn't know Jeannie well enough to know if she was being nice because that's who she was or if she had other motives. He didn't like thinking that way, but he couldn't help it - not after all he'd been through. He thought back to a conversation he'd had with Remus not long ago:

_"You okay, Padfoot?" he heard Remus ask._

_Sirius looked up to find Remus eyeing him. He nodded. They were in the sitting room, enjoying a drink after successfully completing another bedroom clean-out. Molly had insisted that Jeannie and Tonks stay for supper again, so they had gone upstairs with Ginny and Hermione for some 'girl time' while Molly cooked. Sirius grinned as he heard another peal of laughter coming from the general direction of the girl's room._

_"Do you think they're talking about us?" he asked Remus._

_Remus shrugged. "I'm only catching bits and pieces. It's nice to hear laughter in this house, though, don't you think?"_

_"Yeah," Sirius' grin widened. "Do you think Jeannie's a good fit here?"_

_Remus chuckled. "Yeah, I do. She's one of a kind, that's for sure. It doesn't surprise me that you two are getting along."_

_Sirius raised his eyebrows._

_"Well, she's like a female version of you, isn't she?" Remus explained. "The swearing, the tattoos, the devil-may-care attitude. It's all you, just infinitely prettier," he said, grinning at Sirius' snort._

_"I do hope you weren't thinking that when you were in bed with her," Sirius teased._

_"I can honestly say you were the last thing on my mind then," Remus assured him._

Sirius chuckled to himself. It was true, he supposed, they did seem to have a lot in common - with the obvious exceptions of gender and upbringing. He wondered if she'd ever found her birth parents, or if she'd ever wanted to. He wondered if music was something she'd always loved, or if it was something she'd discovered recently. He wondered if she knew what she did to him when she wore tight jeans. He wondered if she would have dinner with him if things were different. Perhaps now, with the kids currently on the train back to school, he'd be able to get answers to his wonderings. That is, of course, if Jeannie kept coming around. He certainly hoped she would.

* * *

 

Sirius went to bed that night pleasantly exhausted for the first time in recent memory. His limbs were sore, but in a good way and his mind was clearer than it had been in ages. He felt as if they had actually accomplished something, and he was proud of that. When they were done with the boxes, Jeannie had gone through the building with him and explained what she wanted to change and how she wanted things set up. He'd put his two cents in and they'd made plans for the next time Sirius came over. He knew it was somewhat childish, but working all day at Jeannie's felt different and much more fulfilling than trying to make the lost cause of Grimmauld Place habitable.

Contrary to popular belief, Sirius had never had a problem with physical labor, and he'd spent several hours at her place until Remus decided that he'd been gone from headquarters long enough and it was time for him to return. Molly had left them supper before returning to the Burrow, and the two men had a nice, albeit quiet, meal while Sirius begged Remus for any information he may have on the former acrobat. Jeannie had stayed at her place, but there was an Order meeting scheduled for the next night, so he knew he'd see her then. It was something to look forward to, too, because he and Jeannie had agreed to talk to Dumbledore about Sirius spending time occaisionally outside of the safety of headquarters. Namely, at Jeannie's place.

Laying in bed, staring at the bikini-clad models posing beside motorbikes that littered his walls, Sirius began thinking that he was getting close to a turning point in his life. Hopefully, this time, for the better. There were several major points that he _could_ bitch about if he so desired, like most of the wizarding world still believing the worst of him, or living in his mother's house with his mother's house-elf, but the last few months had given him just a glimmer of hope. There was going to be another war but, by now, they knew pretty much what they were dealing with. He'd had almost an entire month to spend with Harry, who meant more to him than anything else, and the people in his life who meant anything to him at all knew the truth and were behind him.

And now, he had another reason to hope. _Jeannie Jones._ That beautiful, sexy, unpredictable young woman that he was beginning to look forward to seeing for any reason at all, and not just because she was another ally. He still wasn't positive what her motives were in regard to the way she teased and possibly even flirted with him, but Remus and Charlie had both warned him that she wasn't your average girl. He could see that for himself and he was happy, for the moment at least, to pretend that it might mean something.

Sirius felt his body grow warm as his mind replayed the way she had moved to the music while they worked. To his delight, she'd stuck to what was now called 'classic rock' (Sirius wasn't sure how he felt about that as it made him sound old), and they'd gone through record after record of music that, at one time, he'd known every word of. It had reminded him of a time when he'd been young and strong and invincible, but instead of making him bitter - as it might have done if he'd listened to it with Remus - with Jeannie it made him feel like that was something he may, with a little effort, be able to recapture.

That thought got his blood going and soon it was traveling south. He felt himself begin to harden as he remembered Jeannie bent over a box, sifting through the contents as he stared at her arse. Sirius knew it was impolite to stare, but he really couldn't help it. He had been locked up for a _really long_ time, and the only women he had encountered since his escape who weren't spoken for were either former Professors or relatives. Neither of which were appealing to him. Plus, there had been children in the house and he didn't even want to think of what Molly may have done to him if she'd caught him doing anything more than flirt harmlessly. His language got him in enough trouble.

After grabbing his wand and performing a quick silencing charm on the room so Remus wouldn't hear him, he closed his eyes and let his hand run down his thin chest toward his waistband, while trying to think of the last time he'd had a good wank. Too bloody long, he decided, as his hand drifted over his cock. Keeping his movements slow and gentle at first, he merely brushed against himself, hissing at the contact. His own fingers were rough, but he'd always had a vivid imagination and it wasn't difficult to picture Jeannie's hands in place of his own. His lips curled into a smile as his thumb ran over the sensitive head, gathering the moisture that was beginning to bead.

Releasing himself, he pushed his sleep pants down past his hips and resumed. In his mind's eye he imagined Jeannie walking in to his bedroom and catching him. He watched her dark eyes widen in surprise, then she'd close the door behind her and slowly approach him on the bed, a hungry look on her face. She would watch him for a few moments, then move to join him. _Who needs wank mags,_ he thought, speeding up his movements. His breathing quickened and his cock leaked precum as his fantasy continued.

Imaginary Jeannie climbed onto the bed with him, crawling in between his legs. Batting his hands away, she replaced them with her own and began pumping him. She'd left her hair down the way he liked and it cascaded around his thighs as she bent over his body. Bringing one of her hands down, she started playing with his balls. Rolling them around in her hands and pulling gently on them, she brought him closer and closer to his climax. Just as he was reaching his peak, she leaned further over him and, looking up at him through her fringe, said in a husky voice, _"Come for me, Sirius,"_ and he was done.

Sirius' eyes shot open as he threw his head back and cried out raggedly as his orgasm hit. His body thrashed on the bed and his hips thrust wildly into his hand, cum shooting out in thick ropes, landing on his chest and stomach. He hadn't cum this hard in a long, long time. Moaning, he squeezed his cock once more, drawing every last ounce of pleasure out of himself before relaxing into his sheets. Panting, he reached for his wand again, waving it over himself to vanish the evidence. Then he removed the silencing charm from the room, just in case he was needed, and put his wand back on the nightstand.

Sinking deeper into the comfort of his bed, he pulled his pants back up as his cock deflated and his breathing returned to normal. A tired grin stretched across his face as he began to feel the relaxation that only a great orgasm can bring. _Merlin,_ he'd needed that. Drawing his sheets over himself, he rolled onto his side and his eyes fluttered shut as sleep washed over him, quiet and peaceful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I had this chapter written, but somehow it got erased, so I had to start from scratch. I think I've managed to recapture almost everything I had written, but it annoys me that I couldn't remember it word for word because I was happy with the first version. Oh, well, shit happens. Anyway, let me know if you're happy that Sirius is finally getting some, even if it's imaginary. Don't worry, the real thing will happen soon enough, but I warned you at the beginning of this story that the SB/OC part would be a bit of a slow burn, so have patience. Also, I'm wondering if you're happy with the way I'm writing people. Do you think my situations are plausible? Leave me a note!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	13. A Difference Of Opinion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I'm glad that everyone seems to be enjoying this for the most part. Obviously, not everyone will like every chapter I write, but that's okay, and I'm always open to constructive criticism. I ask about things making sense because sometimes it's hard to view my writing objectively because I have so much backstory in my head that never made it onto the page. If it had, we'd be looking at chapter 100 by now (perhaps I'm a bit obsessive). It makes sense in my mind, but sometimes my mind doesn't make sense. I wonder if you other authors have the same problem?
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"Sirius."

"Yes, Moony?"

"Go take a shower."

"Why?"

"Because you smell like stale spunk and it's starting to make me gag."

Sirius had woken the next morning refreshed. The physical exertion of the previous afternoon, followed by his private 'exertion' in bed later had been the perfect recipe for a great night's sleep and had done wonders for his mood. Apparently, this hadn't been missed by his werewolf housemate, who had wrinkled his nose as he entered the room and promptly voiced his opinion on the matter. Sirius supposed it was a bit unfair of him to subject Remus to certain smells before his first cup of coffee, so he headed back upstairs to his bathroom whistling the whole way.

After a nice, hot shower, he rejoined his friend in the kitchen and helped himself to some of the coffee Remus had made. Taking a seat at the ancient table, he slowly sipped the black gold. Remus may have been terrible at Potions, but he excelled at hot beverages. Hot chocolate was his specialty, but he was no slouch when it came to coffee and tea. Sirius smiled softly to himself as he thought back to when Lily was pregnant. One of her cravings was very strong tea, and nobody could make it the way she liked it but Remus. He'd almost had to move in with James and Lily at one point because she'd wake up at the most ungodly hours dying for a cup of 'Moony Tea'.

"Do you want the paper?" asked Remus, folding the morning's _Daily Prophet_ and holding it out to Sirius.

"Depends. Is there anything even remotely decent in there today?"

"No," Remus replied with a sigh, tossing the paper on the table.

It weighed heavily on both men how nasty the paper was being to anyone who dared to disagree with the Ministry, namely Harry and Dumbledore. The elderly headmaster had had his share of opposition over the years and he was no stranger to being of a different opinion than those in government, but Harry was different. In addition to still being a teenager, he had inherited his father's hot-headedness, and was having a harder time than ever with the attention directed toward him. Grabbing the paper, Sirius flipped through it until he found the crossword, then threw the rest of it onto the floor and set it on fire. Remus raised an eyebrow at his friend's rather infantile action, but didn't dispute the fact that the paper deserved it.

Sirius summoned a quill and ink from another room and set to work while Remus sat back and enjoyed the peace of the morning. It had been nearly three months since Grimmauld Place had been this quiet and Remus' ears were thankful. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd nearly jumped out of his skin because of an explosion coming from the twins' room or gotten a headache from listening to Molly yell at the twins about said explosions. His only solace was the library, where he could put up a sound muffling charm (he still needed to hear what was going on, just not at such a high volume) and spend some time sifting through the rather impressive Black family book collection. He especially liked it when Hermione joined him.

Remus' respect for the brilliant young witch had grown into a genuine affection. He'd forgotten how much fun it could be to rile up a teenage girl, especially one who knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was right. It was nice to hear such convictions from someone so young, but he sometimes worried for her future. Hermione knew what she believed and why she believed it, but she didn't yet have the life experience of a few catastrophic failures to give her perspective. She honestly couldn't understand how certain people could think a certain way when the facts of the subject clearly proved them wrong and, while it was refreshing to hear such innocence, Remus knew that it would be gone soon enough only to be replaced with a more jaded world view. He just hoped it would strengthen her resolve rather than destroy it.

Just then they heard the floo activate. "Hey, anybody home?" came Jeannie's voice.

Sirius looked up from his crossword to find Jeannie's head sitting in his fire. "Good morning. What can I help you move today?" he asked with a grin.

"Actually I wanted to ask you something."

"I'm all yours, love," he said, sitting back and giving her his full attention while ignoring the smirk on Remus' face.

"Well, I'd like to set up a make-shift lab here if that's alright. I spoke with Severus after the last meeting and he's letting me take over the essential brewing like Wolfsbane and things we may need here, you know, because it's headquarters and I don't want to brew at my place and then transport it over here. Do you think I could have one of the unused bedrooms?" she asked.

Sirius thought about it. "I don't see why not. We can at least clear out a workspace for you while I figure out how to dispose of whatever's in there."

Jeannie smiled. "Great. Can I bring my stuff through?"

"Come on."

Jeannie vanished for a minute, then reappeared carrying a cauldron filled to the brim with objects that had obviously been shrunk and lightened so that she wouldn't have to make more than one trip. Setting the cauldron on the kitchen table, she brushed the ashes off her clothes. Being the start of September, there was a bit of a chill in the air, so Jeannie had worn a white long-sleeved tee with a pair of faded jeans and Sirius' favorite motorcycle boots.

"Morning all," she greeted cheerily.

"Would you like some coffee?" Remus asked. "I think there's some left."

"No, thanks, I'm good. Sleep well?" she asked, directing her question to Sirius.

"Very well, thanks," he answered, sharing a look with Remus.

"So, what exactly will you be brewing?" Remus asked.

"Well, Severus has already finished your Wolfsbane for this month - in fact, the first dose should be arriving sometime today," she said, counting on her fingers the number of days until the full moon. "After this moon, I'll be taking over for you and Max."

"Max?"

"Yeah, he's a werewolf, remember?"

"Yes, I remember, I just didn't know you brewed for him," Remus said, impressed.

"Yep," Jeannie confirmed. "I've brewed his Wolfsbane since I graduated. That was the reason I chose that potion for my NEWT exams."

"That's a really complex potion, isn't it?" Sirius interjected.

"Hey, I'm a Ravenclaw, remember? Nothing is complex, it's just a matter of reading the instructions," Jeannie answered with a grin as the fire turned green again.

The kitchen's occupants turned to see Tonks stumble out of the fireplace. Righting herself, she looked up. "Morning," she mumbled.

"You alright?" Jeannie asked, concerned. She certainly didn't look alright. There were bags under her eyes and her hair had turned a light blue in place of the normal shocking pink.

"Yeah, just fucking exhausted," Tonks replied tiredly. "Had to pull a double shift again. Just got off after reporting to Mad-Eye," she said, moving over to the table where Jeannie was standing. Hopping up to sit on the table, she wound her arm around her friend's waist and laid her head on Jeannie's shoulder.

"Poor baby," Jeannie teased, patting Tonks' thigh and kissing the top of her head. "Why don't you go to bed. You know, _before_ you pass out," she added, watching Tonks' eyes close.

"I'm going, I just needed to rest before braving the stairs," she mumbled into Jeannie's shoulder.

"I'll be right back," Jeannie said to the guys, rolling her eyes and wrapping her arms around the young woman. She apparated them both up to Tonks' room and maneuvered her onto the bed. After wrestling the covers out from under the currently blue-haired witch, she set to work removing her shoes. When those were off, Jeannie tossed the blankets over Tonks, who was already snoring softly, and apparated back down to the kitchen.

"Right, about my potions lab?"

* * *

 

By the time people started arriving for the meeting, Jeannie had gotten the men to shove the contents of one of Grimmauld's 17,000 bedrooms over to one side of the room so she could at least set up a few cauldrons. Jeannie had always liked potions - there was a method to the supposed madness of ingredients that worked well with the organized chaos of her mind, and it was one of her best subjects when she was in school. Once she got her cauldrons out, she set out the things she'd need for next month's supply of Wolfsbane. She'd brought her extra large cauldron for that one because she would now be brewing a double batch every month. After seeing to all of that, Jeannie left to go back to her place where Max would meet her to get his first dose of the week, then use her floo to get to the meeting.

"Scheisse!" Max shouted. "Does it _have_ to be disgusting?"

"Yes, Max. I'm sorry," Jeannie answered patiently. This was their routine - she brewed, he drank, he cursed, she apologized for the taste.

"Alright," he said, after downing a glass of water to clear his palate. "Let's go."

Jeannie nodded, grabbed his arm and apparated them both to the front step of headquarters. Opening the door carefully, they stepped softly past Sirius' mother and went down to the kitchen where Tonks was complaining loudly to Remus about Sirius' waking techniques.

"He sprayed me right in the face!" she exclaimed while Sirius grinned unrepentantly.

"Who did what?" Jeannie asked, taking a seat next to Tonks who still looked tired, but had gotten her hair to turn pink again.

Tonks whipped around to face Jeannie. "Sirius! He sprayed me in the face to wake me up!"

Remus chuckled behind her, but quieted when Dumbledore walked in. Snape slithered in behind him, walked over to Remus and handed him a smoking goblet. The werewolf sighed, then drained the potion quickly and handed the goblet back to Snape, thanking him. Snape did not acknowledge the gratitude, choosing instead to ignore everyone and take a seat at the far end of the table. Remus didn't seem put out by this, but Jeannie was surprised by the hardness of Sirius' expression. The only time she'd seen that look of loathing on his face was when he had to deal with his mother's portrait. Looking down the table, she saw that Snape held a similar look. Apparently, the school-boy hatred Tonks had told her about was alive and well.

"Good evening, everyone," Dumbledore greeted. "We have several things to discuss tonight. First - Alastor, would you give us an update on Sturgis Podmore?"

Mad-Eye nodded. "It seems that Podmore was caught two nights ago trying to break into the Department of Mysteries. From what I could gather, when he was arrested he seemed confused and couldn't give a decent explanation of why he was there. The more I hear, the more I think he was Imperiused. How and why, I don't know, but I intend to find out," he ended in a growl.

"Thank you, Alastor," said Dumbledore. "I agree, it does sound like the Imperius Curse. We need details as soon as possible. Now to Remus and Max - do either of you have anything on the werewolf packs?"

"Unfortunately," Remus began, "it's even harder for me to gather information from the source this time around. During the First War, I could pretend that I had become disillusioned with the wizarding life that my parents had wanted for me, but now that is not the case. It's obvious that I've tried my hardest to make a place for myself in the wizarding world and, because of the way my teaching year ended, my name is too recognizable." He sighed. "I fear that, this time around, I will be fairly useless with my own kind."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "I was afraid of that. Max, do you think you would be of any use to us in trying to find out where the werewolves stand?"

Max considered this for a moment. "It is possible. You see, when I was bitten, I was immediately sent to live with the circus as soon as my injuries had healed. The circus is not viewed the same way as the wizarding community. It is a community all it's own. We live on the fringe of society, much like the werewolf clans, and interact only when necessary. The circus that Jeannie and I are from is a mix of magic and Muggle. Jeannie is the only fully trained witch that has lived with us that I know of, but there are a few who have magical abilities. As for creatures like myself, there have been a few come and go. I may be able to contact them, but I have no idea how I will be received."

"I think you should try," said Dumbledore. "That is, if you are willing. It would be very helpful to know where we stand with the magical creatures. Also, if you have any international contacts. Be on your guard, though - Voldemort is being very quiet about his recruiting and he has spies everywhere. Jeannie, that goes for you as well," he said, turning to her. "If there is anyone you've met on your travels that may be sympathetic to our cause, please don't hesitate."

Jeannie nodded and Dumbledore moved on. "Severus, is there any news?"

"Not yet, Headmaster," the dark man drawled. "I only found out about Podmore today and I haven't had an opportunity to see about that yet. However," he continued, ignoring Sirius' snort from the other end of the room. "The Dark Lord is becoming more active in terms of recruiting. He seems to feel that he does not have the head start he had last time and is trying to make up for lost time. In addition to that, he is continually obsessed with obtaining the prophecy."

"Albus," Jeannie interrupted. "Exactly how much does Harry know about the prophecy and, er - _related issues_?" she asked.

"Very little, from what I can tell. Which is how it should be for now. I believe that he has never known about the prophecy, but I think he is beginning to suspect that his connection to Voldemort is deeper than first thought," Dumbledore answered.

"Okay, um, are you planning on telling him any of this?" she asked. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "I don't mean _everything_. Just some of it. Enough for it to make sense to him. Just enough so that he doesn't feel the need to go digging around for information. I mean, I heard about his temper tantrum when he finally got here and found out about the Order and all."

"I do not intend to run the Order of the Phoenix around a teenage boy's temper tantrums," Dumbledore said, just a bit coldly.

"I'm not suggesting that you do," said Jeannie patiently. "All I'm saying is that if I was a strong, intelligent, proactive teenage boy who knew that he was a very important piece of a very important puzzle, I'd want to know why. And if those who knew why weren't willing to tell me, I'd try to find out another way. He doesn't need to be hearing fairy tales from other people who think they know something; he needs to be hearing facts from you."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sirius nod in agreement.

"I don't think you understand, Jeannie," said Dumbledore. "I cannot give Harry facts right now, nor do I want to. One of the _related issues_ you alluded to is the _fact_ that Harry somehow shares a direct connection to the Dark Lord's mind. I cannot risk Harry knowing anything about our movements."

Jeannie sat there stunned. Harry and Voldemort were connected?! "Does he know this?" she asked softly.

"Harry or Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked. "I think Harry suspects there is more going on than just a cursed scar, but I have no evidence so far that Voldemort is aware of this. Yet. He will be soon enough, I'm sure. Tom is a master Legilimens."

"So let me get this straight," Jeannie started, beginning to lose patience. "What you have is a teenage boy who is not only battling hormones and emotions, but has a direct mental connection to the most evil Dark Wizard in history, and the people he trusts are going to keep him in the dark about it? Aren't you even going to try to teach him Occlumency?"

"I'm not. Severus is," Dumbledore answered simply.

"What?!" Sirius roared as Jeannie laughed out loud. "Albus, you can't mean that!"

"I do mean it, Sirius. Severus is an excellent Legilimens and Occlumens," Dumbledore said mildly.

"I assure you, Black, this is not my choice," Snape said silkily.

"Really, Albus, you must be joking," Jeannie said, incredulous. "Harry and Severus hate each other! Even I can see that. I have no doubt that Severus is highly skilled, but do you really expect them to be able to control their emotions like that?"

"They'll have to," Dumbledore said shortly, clearly tiring of this topic.

Jeannie sat back, amazed at the old man's blase attitude. "I think it should be said, Albus, that you are completely wrong on this and it's going to end badly for everyone involved." She took a deep breath. "From what I've heard of Harry's childhood, you and Hagrid are probably the first people he ever felt he could trust. I can only imagine the resentment he's going to feel when he finds out that he's been manipulated and lied to the whole time."

"I am not lying to Harry," Dumbledore said, his voice taking a dangerous tone.

"No, not now you're not. The lying was done before now. Lies of omission, trying to retain whatever innocence the boy had left for the 'Greater Good' and not realizing that it was out of your control. He will find out, Albus, and then what will you do?" Jeannie asked, refusing to be cowed.

"I believe that I am still Headmaster of Hogwarts and, as such, how I handle my students is my discretion and not open to discussion," he said with an air of finality. "You have stated your opinion but, in the end, it is my decision. That is all I will say on the subject." Dumbledore directed the last sentence to Sirius, who looked ready to argue.

Jeannie nodded and sat silent for the rest of the meeting while Sirius seethed beside her. She could hear his heavy breathing and wondered if he was going to explode right then and there. Looking around, she met a few pairs of eyes. Tonks gave her a nervous grin, and Remus seemed torn, as if he had thought the same thing at one time or another, but hadn't had the courage to say it. Mad-Eye winked at her - that man feared nobody and nothing and had locked horns with Dumbledore before.

Severus, however, was a different story. He stared at Jeannie with an inscrutable look on his face. She wondered just how deep his emotions ran on the subject. When Jeannie had been a student, she'd had Severus as a teacher and, at first, thought he was a real cold fish. By the time she graduated, however, she had come to realize that his attitude was carefully crafted, and she'd wondered why he felt the need to hide. Maybe now she'd get answers to that, too.

As expected, Sirius had a bit of a meltdown the minute Dumbledore was out the door at the end of the meeting. Leaping out of his chair, he picked it up and launched it across the room with a shout. The wood hit the far wall of the kitchen and broke, leaving large chunks littering the floor. Without a backward glance, he stormed out of the room, presumably heading for the lounge where the liquor was. Remus sighed, then followed his friend, knowing he was probably the only one who could handle him at the moment.

When the others had filed out, Jeannie turned to Tonks. "I'm gonna head home," she said.

"Food first," said Max. "You coming?" he asked Tonks.

Tonks nodded and the three walked out together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I know this one was a bit longer than usual, but I felt it was important. Also, when Max swears after drinking the Wolfsbane, 'Scheisse' was the closest I could get to the German version of 'Shit'.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	14. An Epiphany And A Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sirius is not in a good place right now, please remember that.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1

Jeannie was over at headquarters every day of the following week to begin brewing various potions, but didn't see Sirius once. From what Remus told her, after the meeting Sirius had headed straight for the liquor cabinet and gone on a three-day drunk. This had taken such a toll on him that it took two more days to recover. He'd stayed in his room for most of it, only emerging once or twice to ask Remus what day it was and get a fresh bottle. Finally, six days since she'd last seen him, Sirius appeared in the door-way of the bedroom Jeannie was using as a potions lab.

He looked like shit. Even though he'd showered and attempted to shave, there were large, dark bags under his eyes and he clearly hadn't eaten in days. His clothes hung off him even more than normal and she might have pitied him if she wasn't so pissed off at him. The look in his eyes told her the shower hadn't been able to improve his mood like it'd done for his smell, and she wasn't really sure what to say to him, so she continued brewing and waited for him to speak.

"Giving me the silent treatment?" he asked, his tone pissy. She'd heard the other people in the house have a go at him, and apparently he'd decided that now was her turn.

"No," Jeannie answered guardedly. She wasn't happy with him, but she also didn't want an argument.

"Then why don't you say something?" he tried again, baiting her.

Jeannie sighed, which didn't go unnoticed. "Anything in particular you'd like to hear?" she asked, resigning herself to having to put him in his place.

"Oh, I don't know," he said sarcastically. "How about one of Molly's favorites?" He cleared his throat. "' Really, Sirius, what sort of example are you setting for the children?'" he mocked.

Jeannie shook her head and tried one last time. "I really don't want to argue with you, Sirius."

"Oh, come now, tell me what you think of me. Everyone else has. Let's get it out in the open!" he said.

"Fine!" she snapped, turning around to face him. "Yes, I disapprove of you going on a drunk and avoiding the issue. Happy?"

"You haven't got the right to disapprove of me or anything I do!" Sirius shouted hotly.

"Actually, I think I do! What would happen if Harry needed us during the last few days and you were shit-faced and useless? You'd only be a liability, and one we can't afford, which means you'd have to stay here - which you wouldn't like - which would make things worse. Follow me?"

This took the wind out of Sirius' sails. Apparently none of the people voicing their opinions on his recent behavior had used this argument. His perturbed expression crumbled and morphed into sheepishness. "I hadn't thought about that. I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"That's alright," Jeannie said diplomatically. "We all have our moments. Just wait until Dumbledore pisses me off when I'm on the rag."

Sirius snorted at that and grinned half-heartedly.

Jeannie sighed again. "Sit down, Sirius. Talk to me. What's going on?"

She watched Sirius hang his head, almost in shame, then move into the room and collapse in an old armchair. Ignoring the faint cloud of dust that rose as he sat down, he leaned back in the chair and ran a hand over his face.

"James should have made Remus godfather," he said quietly.

Jeannie finished counting her stirs in one of her cauldrons before replying. "James Potter could not have made Remus Lupin godfather to his child," she said, logically. "No matter how much money he had, the Ministry would never have approved naming a werewolf the legal guardian of the first-born son of a pureblood wizard. You know that, Sirius. Hell, even _I_ know that, and I don't know shit about being a pureblood."

"But Moony would have been better at it," Sirius countered, childishly.

_Gryffindors,_ she thought, _always ignoring hard facts._ Setting her potion to simmer, Jeannie grabbed a chair from the pile of things shoved to the side of the room and moved toward Sirius. Planting the chair backwards in front of him, she straddled it, resting her arms on the back and her head on her arms.

"Sirius, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Are you listening?" she asked, waiting for him to look her in the eye. His silver eyes were dull and haunted as he looked up at her and nodded. "Good. Now, it seems to me that you've had very little time to actually be a godfather. You were absent for much of Harry's life due to circumstances you could not control. It is not your fault that James and Lily are dead," she said carefully, hitting the nail on the head.

Sirius broke eye contact and seemed to shrink in the chair as Jeannie said those words. The same words that haunted his thoughts almost constantly. The same words that he'd tried, unsuccessfully, to drown out with bottle after bottle of Ogden's Old.

Jeannie continued, "Sirius, you need to get to a point where you can stop carrying around someone else's guilt. It is _not_ your fault that things didn't go as planned, it's _not_ your fault that Harry will never know his parents. It's _not_ your fault that Peter escaped again two years ago, and it's _not_ your fault that Dumbledore is choosing to keep Harry in the dark. The only way that you will ever begin to heal is to let some of this stuff go. It's not going to be easy, but I want you to know that I'm here if you need me."

She watched Sirius take several deep breaths, as though willing himself not to break down in front of her.

"On a related note, I need to apologize to you," she said, catching him completely off guard. Sirius looked up at her with confusion in his stormy eyes. "After my disagreement with Dumbledore, I forgot to talk to him about you coming over to my place every so often. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," he said roughly. "I forgot, too."

Jeannie sighed. He wasn't listening. "It _is_ my fault, Sirius. It was _my_ idea, and _my_ responsibility to bring it up and I apologize," she said pointedly, praying that he'd get the hint.

Sirius opened his mouth to argue the point, but stopped suddenly, realizing that this was what she was talking about. She was trying to tell him that it wasn't _his_ fault that _she'd_ forgotten. He simply wasn't strong enough to carry around everyone else's shortcomings. The whole point of all she'd just said to him hit him like a punch in the gut. The only way to move forward was to let some things go. This wasn't his way. He wasn't any good at it - never had been - and he certainly wasn't ready to tackle the really heavy stuff like James and Lily. But... maybe... perhaps... he could start small? He could try, at least, and maybe make her smile at him again.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at her and said, "That's alright, Jeannie. You'll catch him next time."

It was not exactly what she wanted to hear, but she was smart enough to realize that it was the best she was going to get today. Satisfied for the moment, she nodded and smiled kindly at him. She got up, put her chair back and walked out of the room, leaving Sirius with his thoughts. The raven-haired man reached into his robes and pulled out a small, square mirror. Running his fingers lovingly over it, he brought it close to his face and said clearly _'Harry Potter'_. Nothing happened. Sighing sadly, he replaced the mirror and followed Jeannie out of the room.

* * *

 

Jeannie made good on her promise and did indeed speak to Dumbledore after the next meeting, which happened to be later that day. He wasn't particularly thrilled with the notion of Sirius leaving Grimmauld, since part of the protection afforded him there was very old blood magic, but Jeannie took the headmaster to her place and showed him what she and Remus had done to make sure Sirius would be safe.

"Albus, we may have a difference of opinion on certain issues, but the last thing I want is to put Sirius in danger. Please believe that. I like Sirius - a lot - and wouldn't have brought him here if myself or Remus could find any major faults with it," she explained. "On the other hand, Sirius _will_ eventually lose whatever sanity he has if he is kept locked in what he views as the prison of Grimmauld Place. It's hard for him to be there on good days, and all I'm asking is to be able to bring him here on the bad days."

The elderly wizard was quiet for several long moments. "Alright," he said finally, "but under no circumstances is Sirius to leave headquarters abandoned. Someone absolutely has to be there at all times. No exceptions."

Jeannie nodded. "I understand."

"I also don't want too many people knowing about this."

"Alright."

"Do you agree with me?" Dumbledore pressed. Apparently, she hadn't been forgiven yet for her words during the last meeting.

Jeannie raised an eyebrow, knowing he was testing her. "Yes, on this point, I agree with you completely."

"But you still think I'm wrong about Harry?"

"I don't think, I know you're wrong," she answered.

Dumbledore nodded. "I'll leave you to tell Sirius the good news. May I use your floo to go straight back to the school? I feel I've been absent long enough."

"Of course. Good night," Jeannie said.

"And to you." Dumbleore bowed slightly and disappeared in a rush of green flame.

* * *

 

Jeannie stood in front of her fireplace with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot and contemplating her next move. Sirius had been depressed since their little talk earlier and it had only gotten worse when Remus had - once again - absolutely refused to let him accompany him for that night's full moon. Remus and Max had both left immediately after giving their reports and Sirius had sat silently in the corner for the rest of the meeting.

Deciding that she really didn't want him left alone to his own devices, she ran up to her kitchen, grabbed several items and headed once more through the floo. Coming out of Grimmauld's kitchen fire, she found herself confronted with the not unappealing sight of Sirius' backside as he rifled through the pantry looking for leftovers. Clearing her throat, she chuckled as he spun around, alarmed.

"Hungry?" she asked, noticing the container in his hand.

"Yeah, um, I think Molly left enough for two...?" he said, not quite sure what she was doing there.

Jeannie raised the bag she was carrying. "You like lasagna?" Sirius cocked his head in a 'confused dog' sort of way and Jeannie grinned. "I talked to Dumbledore," she said, moving to the counter and setting out her things. "You're free to come over to mine every once in a while, but only if there's someone here to maintain a presence. So, since you're stuck here tonight, I thought I'd come over and make dinner and we could have a 'date night'. What do you say?"

Sirius stared. "But I'm a drunken arsehole" he said intelligently, making Jeannie laugh.

"Don't worry, Sirius" she said, taking the container from him and steering him in the direction of his chair at the head of the table. "I'm quite clear on which arsehole you are." Sitting him down, she smiled at him. "I don't have to stay. If you'd rather be alone, it's okay, I won't be offe- "

"No!" Sirius interrupted. "I mean, uh, I'd like you to stay, I'm just... out of practice" he said, looking up at her. "Especially after my behavior earlier, I'm just surprised that you'd want to be around me."

Jeannie shook her head. "You're going to have to try harder than that if you want to scare me off. Why don't you get us a bottle of wine?"

"Alright," Sirius said as Jeannie turned around and went back to her cooking. Summoning a bottle from the cellar, he flicked his wand again and two glasses appeared. He filled them both, then moved to stand beside Jeannie. Placing one of them in front of her, he leaned against the counter and watched her work.

"Why do you cook the Muggle way?" he asked.

"Because I like to cook and it's more fun to do it the Muggle way. More hands-on," she said, smiling at him again. "It feels like I've actually made something when I do it this way. Does that make sense?"

Sirius shrugged, not having any real experience with it. "I guess. Lily said the same thing about cleaning. Even though she was extremely talented at household charms, she liked doing it the Muggle way when she had time."

"She was Muggle-born, right?" Jeannie asked.

Sirius nodded, taking a sip of his wine. "Yes. Proud of it, too. A lot like Hermione - very smart, very talented." He stared at the floor for a moment, lost in memories. "I don't want to talk about them," he said quietly.

"You don't have to," Jeannie said, pausing in her movements and looking up into his handsome, sad face. "It's me, remember? You don't have to do anything you don't want to do when you're with me. Leave the requirements with everyone else."

Sirius met her eyes for a moment, then looked away again, still ashamed of his previous behavior. She went back to work, putting the lasagna in the oven and starting on a simple salad. He watched in silence, grateful that she wasn't one of those girls who felt the need to fill every available space with conversation. He wasn't really in the mood for talking anyway, but it was nice to not be alone.

"I'm sorry," he said, after a while.

"For what?" Jeannie asked, tossing her salad greens.

"For the way I spoke to you earlier. I was completely out of line. There's really no excuse for the way I've acted this week and I'm sorry for all of it," he answered, his voice slightly hollow.

Something in his tone made Jeannie think that he was apologizing for much, much more than their little spat. However, she was in no mood to deal with his fifteen-year-old baggage and she was not going to be his confessor. She was also not going to allow him to wallow in whatever misery had driven him to go on his drunk. Realizing then that she would have to nip this in the bud if she wanted to have any kind of decent evening with him, she decided to take a rather firm tone.

"Sirius," she said, "you're right. You were out of line. I forgive you." She looked him in the eye. "It's done. It's over. We're not going to revisit the issue. What we _will_ do is eat lasagna, drink wine and swap blackmail on Remus and Tonks. If, tomorrow, you still want to talk about things, we can deal with it then, but now is not the time. Now is the time for garlic bread," she said, offering him a piece.

She waited patiently until he took the bread. As he did, his fingers grazed hers and their eyes met. She looked up at him defiantly, daring him to argue with her. He didn't, choosing instead to return to his chair and eat his bread. Taking another sip of his wine, he decided she was right - tonight was not the night for heavy conversations. There would be plenty of opportunities for that later but, right now, he had a beautiful woman cooking him supper. _Not bad_ , he thought, _for a wasted fugitive who's been out of commission since 1981._

Calling upon long-disused charm he said, "You know, I always liked bossy women."

"Is that so?" Jeannie asked in a teasing tone. "I got the impression you didn't like anyone telling you what to do."

Sirius smirked. "It depends, I suppose," he said.

"On?"

"The order given and the attractiveness of the girl," he answered, making her laugh. "Take Molly for instance - she's a very bossy woman, but I have no interest in seeing her naked. You, on the other hand..." he let the statement hang.

Jeannie looked at him over her shoulder and cocked an eyebrow. "I'm a different story, huh?"

"That's one way of putting it."

"Oh, Sirius," Jeannie sighed playfully. "I'm all sorts of different."

"Mmm, yes, I've noticed that," he said, not even trying to hide the fact that he was staring at her arse as she bent over to take the lasagna out of the oven. Flicking his wand, he brought plates and silverware to the table while Jeannie brought over the food. "Smells good," he said.

"One of the benefits of growing up all over the world is being able to sample all different kinds of food," she replied, sitting down and filling her plate. "I can cook just about anything, really. Italian, Greek, Indian, Mexican - I love it all."

Sirius refilled both wine glasses before filling his plate. "You must have left a trail of broken hearts, then. Or do you have a boy in every port?"

Jeannie laughed. "Not quite. There have been plenty of interested parties, but I'm really quite picky."

"I guess that fits. You did go for Remus, after all," he said, making a face.

"Hey, now, I'll have you know that I do not regret that!"

Sirius laughed and they spent the rest of the evening teasing each other and exchanging stories about their mutual friends in the Order. He told her about catching Remus snogging a blonde in a broom closet in their sixth year, and she told him about the time she and Tonks successfully stole Mad-Eyes's favorite hat. It turned out to be a lovely evening and it struck Sirius suddenly that everything seemed to get better when Jeannie arrived.

Sure, Tonks was a lot of fun and frequently made him laugh, but Jeannie was a woman he could match wits with. She seemed to have a deeper understanding of his problems, even though they'd never really had a proper conversation about certain issues. Perhaps it was the fact that she wasn't one of the 'old crowd'; she was just enough of an outsider to be able to give a fresh perspective on things and was somehow able to make him see the positive points of his current situation.

He didn't sleep much that night, his mind wouldn't let him relax, but at least his insomnia wasn't the result of nightmares. No, his mind was full of Jeannie and, if he were honest, he wasn't really all that bothered about the lack of sleep she caused. Staying awake allowed him to replay various parts of their short acquaintance, and he couldn't complain about that. The only thing he really had to worry about was how hard he was going to end up falling for her and how much it would hurt when he landed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I've never really bought into Sirius being immature, but I think he is quite broken. There are several issues that may never be fully resolved, but I'm going to have him at least try to work on them. Questions? Comments? Cries of despair? I'm open to all, just leave me a note!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	15. Mirror Image

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Please read the next chapter as well. These two were written as a double post and I think they go well together. Heavy stuff ahead...
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

September became October and the air got cooler as the season changed. Sirius still hadn't been able to reach Harry through the mirror and he wasn't happy about that, but the boy's letters sounded okay. He'd even been able to floo once and the kids had impressed him. Harry, Ron and Hermione had started their own Defense classes in secret so they would actually be able to learn something this year instead of copying theory out of the textbook without any sort of practical demonstration. From what Remus said about this Umbridge woman, she was absolutely the worst sort of Ministry stooge and both men were worried about Albus' authority being challenged.

Sirius told Jeannie about the mirror issue one evening when she and Tonks decided to stay after a meeting and keep him and Remus company. Tonks looked tired, but she'd stayed anyway and Sirius had a feeling it had something to do with Remus. He'd caught his young cousin staring at his friend on numerous occasions and had recognized the look of infatuation. He doubted, however, that Remus had picked up on it, although Sirius had caught looks from Remus as well. He laughed to himself when he thought of how ridiculous those two would look together. Stodgy Remus with a clearly much younger pink-haired Tonks? The very idea gave him the giggles.

On the subject of the mirror, though, Jeannie'd had an idea. She thought that she could make a 'shopping trip' to Hogsmeade the next time the kids had a weekend trip. By coincidence, of course. She was certain that if she saw Hermione, the brainy Gryffindor would be able to pick up on certain signals and meet her somewhere. Sirius was very happy with that idea, and thanked Jeannie profusely, swearing he'd owe her a favour. He really needed to speak to Harry through the mirror. It was the only way to be absolutely certain that he was okay. He suggested meeting the kids in the Shrieking Shack as it was still believed to be haunted.

This was how Jeannie found herself in the wizarding village freezing her arse off in the mid-October chill as she stepped out of Gladrags and headed toward The Three Broomsticks. She'd decided to make a day of it, and had already visited Honeyduke's to stock up on chocolate (which was loved by not only werewolves, but premenstrual women as well). She'd also been to the Herbology shop, Dogweed and Deathcap, for the plants she needed in a few potions she was brewing.

She didn't really want to go into The Three Broomsticks, as she knew she'd be recognized, but it was the best place to catch someone's eye without looking like you were trying to. If she didn't see them there, she would head over to Tomes and Scrolls where she was absolutely certain Hermione would drag the boys at some point. Stepping into the nice, warm pub, she immediately spotted the kids and caught Hermione's eye, but didn't want to appear friendly with them, so she sat at the bar and ordered one of Rosmerta's famous hot chocolates, biding her time.

Sure enough, moments later, the people who recognized her started making their way up to the bar. A few schoolboys even remembered her from her visit two years ago, though she'd met so many people since then that she couldn't honestly say she remembered them. Not that it mattered, though, because she saw Hermione making her way to the front of the line.

"Could I have your autograph, Miss Jones?" Hermione asked politely, her face completely impassive.

"Sure, honey. What's your name?" Jeannie replied, playing the game and taking the notebook Hermione held out to her.

"Hermione. That's H E R M I O N E," she said slowly, giving Jeannie time to write her a note.

"I O N E... right, got it," Jeannie said, smiling at the girl and handing her back the book with a time and place in it.

"Thank you, Miss Jones."

You're very welcome, Hermione," she said with a wink.

Jeannie took a few minutes to finish her hot chocolate and began making her excuses to the crowd that had gathered because of her presence. Checking with Rosmerta to make sure she didn't mind, Jeannie slipped out the back to avoid any more attention and, after checking that nobody was watching, apparated directly into the Shrieking Shack. Blinking away the momentary disorientation that came with apparitition, she found herself facing three drawn wands. She put her hands up.

"I am Jeannie Jones, former acrobat. I'm best friends with Nymphadora Tonks and scared the daylights out of Remus Lupin by sneaking up on him because of a bet made between myself and Sirius Black," she said quietly.

The teenagers nodded and put their wands away.

"Sorry, Jeannie," said Harry.

Jeannie put her finger to her lips to quiet them for another moment. Waving her wand, she cast a series of protective spells on the building to ensure they wouldn't be interrupted or overheard. She had several things she wanted to discuss with them and knew that even though Hogsmeade was still neutral, the streets had ears. When she was done, she turned to the kids.

"Now," she said. "Let's get down to business."

* * *

 

Jeannie returned to Grimmauld Place later that afternoon to an insanely anxious Sirius. According to Remus, the fugitive had been pacing up and down the sitting room since the previous night. Rolling her eyes at the thought, she sat the men down and told them about her day. Sirius let out a shout and leapt out of his chair to pace again when Jeannie told him that Harry had forgotten entirely about Sirius handing him a package at the station. He calmed slightly when she told him how sorry the boy looked that he'd worried his godfather.

There were other things to fill the men in on, though. Notably, Professor Umbridge's unique style of detention. Jeannie had noticed a bandage on Harry's hand and asked about it, but he'd refused to tell her. Hermione, however, spoke up. Sirius was beyond furious to learn that a teacher was giving his godson scars. It took a while to calm him down, and he only really relaxed when Jeannie heard his name being called from inside his robes. Sirius' eyes got wide as he reached into his pocket to pull out the mirror.

"Harry?" Sirius asked, looking into the glass.

"Hey, Sirius," said the boy.

"Please tell me your okay," Sirius begged.

"I'm fine. I'm really sorry about forgetting to open this. You said to open it when I was alone, but by the time that happened it had completely slipped my mind. Sorry for worrying you," Harry said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, son. I'm just happy you're alright. This thing's pretty cool, huh?" Sirius said, grinning.

"Yeah, it is. Did you and Dad use it?" Harry asked.

"Oh, all the time. Especially when we had separate detentions."

Harry laughed.

"Did he make it back to the castle okay?" Jeannie asked Sirius.

"Come here and ask him yourself," he said, waving her over. Jeannie took a seat on the armrest of Sirius' favorite chair and looked into the mirror. A boy with black hair and green eyes looked back at her.

"Damn," she said. "This is cool."

"Hi, Jeannie," Harry said.

"Hey, sweetie. Did you guys get back okay?" she asked as Remus moved to the other side of the chair and took a knee.

"Yeah, we're fine. Sorry again about pulling my wand on you."

Sirius looked concerned. "Why were wands drawn?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but Jeannie beat him to it. "They did exactly what they should have. They got to the Shack before I did, and when I apparated in, they drew their wands and confirmed my identity. I suspect they learned that little tidbit from listening to Order meetings with those Extendable Ears," she said slyly, making Harry grin.

"Hey, tell me about these secret Defense classes," Sirius said, remembering their floo conversation.

"Well, we've only had a couple so far, but we've got to do something! That cow Umbridge isn't going to teach us anything!" he said hotly.

"Speaking of," Sirius said, darkly, "show me your hand."

Harry scowled and sighed, but put the mirror down so he could unwrap the bandage. He raised his hand so he could show it to Sirius through the mirror. It was faint, but they could make out the shiny, pink words _I must not tell lies_. Jeannie could feel Sirius tense beside her and thought she heard a faint growl, but couldn't be sure which canine it'd come from.

"Have you told Dumbledore about this, Harry?" Remus asked.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Harry countered bitterly. "He hasn't even looked at me all year, much less spoken to me. He can't be mad at me about this summer, can he?"

"He was never mad at you about this summer, Harry," Sirius cut in, a hard look on his face. Remus put a warning hand on his friend's wrist to remind him not to say too much.

"We'll say something to him at the next meeting, Harry," Jeannie said, closing the subject. Harry opened his mouth like he was about to say something else, but looked up suddenly, distracted by something on his end. He spoke, beckoning someone over and, within moments, the ginger head of Ron Weasley was in the mirror.

"Wicked!" said Ron, eyes wide. "We've gotta show this to Hermione."

"Where is she?" Remus asked.

Ron shrugged. "Probably knitting another hat for Dobby."

"Dobby?" asked Sirius.

"Friend of mine," said Harry. "He's a house-elf. It's - er - kind of a long story," he added, seeing Sirius perplexed look.

"Um, okay?" said Sirius uncertainly. "Wait a minute - does this have anything to do with that 'spew' Hermione was talking about over the summer?"

"S.P.E.W.," Remus corrected.

"Ah, you're as bad as her!" exclaimed Ron, staring at Remus and making the man chuckle.

"It really is a long story," Harry said. "I promise I'll tell you sometime. You'll like Dobby."

"Alright," Sirius said, still not quite sure he had any idea what Harry was talking about. "Harry, I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you'll keep this mirror on you at all times. That's very important. It's the best way we have to get in touch with you and you with us."

Harry nodded, his face serious. "I promise. Thanks, Sirius, this really is great."

"My pleasure, son. We didn't get nearly as much time together over the summer as I would have liked, so talk to me through the mirror whenever you want to, don't be afraid of interrupting, okay?"

"Alright. I'm going to go get supper with Ron. We'll talk later, okay?" Harry said.

"Anytime," Sirius promised.

"Harry," Remus cut in. "If you need any help with those Defense classes, use the mirror. Even if I'm not here, Sirius can give you pointers or get in touch with me, okay?"

The teenager nodded. "Okay. That's great, because I do have a few things I want to talk to you about."

"Anything, anytime," Remus promised, echoing Sirius.

"Okay, talk to you later." Harry's face vanished from the mirror and the glass went blank. Sirius leaned his head back on the headrest of his armchair and sighed. He hadn't realized just how tense he was about that until right now.

"Thank you, Jeannie," he said seriously, turning his head to look at her.

She smiled at him. "No problem. Hey, I've got a craving for Chinese tonight. I could bring back enough for three...?"

"Four," said a voice from the doorway.

They looked up to see Tonks enter the room. Collapsing ungracefully next to Remus as he resumed his place on the sofa, she eyed her cousin and best friend, who were still on the same chair - Sirius in the seat and Jeannie on the armrest. "You two look cozy. Have I been away that long?" she asked Remus, who smiled at her.

Jeannie made a face at her. "Dumplings?" she asked, knowing they were Tonks' favorite. Tonks grinned and nodded enthusiastically. After getting everyone's requests, Jeannie headed to the door.

"Wait," Sirius said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his money pouch and tossed it to Jeannie. "My treat, yeah?"

"Fine by me," she said.

* * *

 

Jeannie returned with enough for everyone and then some. Tossing Sirius' money bag back to him, she set everything on the coffee table and flicked her wand in the direction of the kitchen, summoning plates and forks and glasses to the sitting room. Tonks slid off the couch and onto the floor, recognizing that they would be eating family-style tonight, and tugged at Remus' pant leg to get him to join her. He did, folding his long legs under the table and reaching for a box of food.

"Jeannie, would you like some shrimp lo mein?" Remus asked.

"No," Tonks answered for her. "Jeannie's allergic to shellfish."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Remus apologized.

"No problem," Jeannie said, "but if you find the vegetable lo mein, it's mine. Tonksie, here's your dumplings."

Remus and Sirius watched curiously as the girls filled each other's plates. They had obviously done this many times before, and each knew exactly how the other liked her food.

"Do you still like snow peas, Messer Padfoot?" Remus asked, after the girls had gotten their fill.

"I certainly do, Messer Moony. Would you like some teriyaki chicken?" Sirius replied.

"Mmm, don't mind if I do." Remus placed a couple skewers on his plate, then went for the white rice, looking up when he noticed Tonks watching him carefully. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you want some white rice?" he asked her.

"Hmm? Oh, no thanks. How do you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?" he replied, mystified.

"Use chopsticks! I always end up wearing more food than I've eaten. How do you do it?"

Sirius and Jeannie laughed. Remus put down the box and picked up his chopsticks to show her. "It's really not that hard, it just takes practice," he said, moving them this way and that in his hands. Tonks watched him for a minute, then shook her head.

"Nope, I'll stick to my fork, thanks," she said decisively.

Remus chuckled.

"Yes, thank you," Jeannie agreed. Tonks pouted at her. "I don't want to be wearing your food, either!" she said, making Tonks stick her tongue out at her.

"We can't all be freakishly well-coordinated like you, Jeannie!" said Tonks.

"We can't all be freakishly colourful like you, either, Tonks!" Jeannie countered.

"Girls, girls!" Remus said, breaking up what looked to be the start of a possible food fight. "Eat your food!"

"Yes, Professor," they said together.

Remus rolled his eyes, while Sirius laughed. "Going to take points, Professor?" Sirius asked.

"I'm eternally grateful that I wasn't teaching when they were in school," Remus said, wearily.

"I don't know," Jeannie said. "That might have been fun." She caught Sirius' eye and waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Jeannie, don't start," Remus pleaded.

Sirius and Tonks laughed, and they went back to their food. It had been a while since Jeannie'd had a nice quiet supper with just a few friends and she was enjoying herself. They traded stories and teased each other and everyone forgot for a while where they were and why they were there. At one point, Sirius caught her eye and nodded towards Tonks and Remus. Jeannie watched them for a while and had to bite back a laugh. They were worse than teenagers! When one would look up, the other would look down and on the rare occasion that they met the other's eye, they would both look away and the tips of Remus' ears would turn red.

Jeannie looked at Sirius and saw him stifling laughter as well. After supper, Tonks elected to stay at Grimmauld for the night instead of going home, but Jeannie wanted her own bed so, after making sure the leftovers were put away properly, she bade everyone goodnight and floo'd home. Chuckling to herself at the antics of her best friend and one-time lover, she went through her nightly routine, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: As always, thanks for reading! Don't forget this chapter goes really well with the next one.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	16. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Really dark Sirius here...
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

The days went by and Jeannie fell into a rhythm. She would wake up in the morning, do her work-out as usual, have a shower and some breakfast and then head over to Headquarters to work on her potions and check in with the Order. Sometimes other people would be there, sometimes not. Molly would show up occasionally to tidy up a bit and leave food for Sirius and Remus, and various other Order members would pop in and out, leaving messages with Sirius or catching a few hours rest before heading off on errands or jobs.

Then came Halloween. The week leading up to it had been difficult; Sirius had become more depressed and withdrawn day after day, and spent more time than ever hiding in his room. According to Remus, however, he had _not_ been drinking - the aftermath of his last foray into drunken oblivion apparently still fresh in his mind. No, instead he was choosing to suffer in silence, which Jeannie thought could very well end badly, given the subject matter and Sirius' volatile personality.

The morning of Halloween dawned beautifully. The air was crisp with the winter chill and the sun shone brightly on all the muggle children taking the last opportunity to get their costumes right for trick-or-treating that evening. Sometime in the early evening, Jeannie found herself flooing back into Grimmauld Place's kitchen. She'd gone over to the Burrow for a cup of tea with Molly and the older woman had suggested that she take some food over to Remus and Sirius as it was unlikely that they would be in any mood to feed themselves.

Looking up from dusting off her jacket, Jeannie was met with a surprisingly quiet house. There was nobody in the kitchen and she couldn't hear anything going on above her. Leaving the food in the kitchen, she set off to find someone. She passed Kreacher in the front hall whispering to Sirius' mother's portrait, but chose to ignore the house-elf. Finding nobody in the sitting room, she proceeded to the library. _Success_ , she thought, as Remus looked up from his book and gave her a small smile.

"Evening," he greeted her.

"Hey," she said, taking the seat next to him on the sofa. "It's awful quiet, is everything okay?"

He shrugged. "It's a bad day for us, Jeannie. This is my fourteenth Halloween without James and Lily and it hurts every time."

"Where's Sirius?" she asked, concerned.

"In his bedroom. I haven't seen him all day. Heard him pacing earlier, but it's been quiet for a while now."

"Do you think we should check on him?"

"I don't think so," Remus answered, closing his book. "Sirius will come out when he's ready and not before."

"If you say so," said Jeannie, not entirely convinced. "Molly sent food over, are you hungry?"

"Not right now, but thank y- " he stopped suddenly, his head snapping up and cocking his ear to the side.

Jeannie looked at him questioningly, but then she heard it, too. A long, drawn-out moan followed by what sounded like a cross between a shout and a sob.

"Sirius," they said together, bolting out of the room and heading for the stairs.

"This happen often?" Jeannie asked, struggling to keep up with Remus' much longer legs.

"Yeah. Sometimes he comes out of it on his own, but once he starts shouting, I have to wake him," Remus filled her in as they rushed to Sirius' bedroom.

The door was closed, but Remus ignored this, bursting through in order to get to his friend who was thrashing violently on the bed, clearly in the midst of a nightmare.

"Padfoot!" Remus shouted, trying to grab one of Sirius' arms before he did any damage to himself. Sirius did not wake up, but continued to flail his limbs, shaking Remus off in the process. Swearing, Remus grabbed at him again, while Jeannie came around the other side of the bed and crawled onto it to give herself some leverage. Taking Sirius' other arm, she held it steady while Remus shouted at him again to wake him.

This time it did work. Sirius' eyes opened, but he didn't seem to comprehend where he was or why there were people holding him down. He gave another shout and wrenched his arm from Jeannie's grasp, causing her to lose her balance and topple onto the floor, landing on her backside and letting out a curse. _That_ woke Sirius up completely. His head whipped around to face Jeannie, who was still on the floor.

"Oh gods, no," he whimpered, bringing his knees up to his chest and burying his face in his hands, sobbing.

Jeannie blinked, then shook her head to snap her out of her shock. "Sirius," she said softly, getting up and sitting on the bed again. "Sirius, sweetie, you didn't hurt me - I'm fine, really. You just startled me, that's all." She reached out a hand and touched his knee, but he flinched away from her and started rocking himself.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked quietly.

"I'm fine," she said. "Listen, are you going to be here all night?"

Remus nodded. "Why?"

"I think he needs to get out of here. He can spend the night at my place, there are no demons or monsters under the bed there," she said.

Remus looked skeptical. "What if he has another nightmare?" he asked, eyeing the man still curled up on the bed, muttering "I'm sorry" over and over again.

"If he does, he does," Jeannie said. "I'll stay close enough to wake him before it gets bad like this."

"Only if you're positive, Jeannie," Remus said, still not completely okay with it.

"I am," she said confidently.

"Alright, but keep your wand on you, and if you need me, send a patronus immediately."

Jeannie nodded, then turned back to Sirius. "Sirius?"

"No, no, no," he muttered.

"Sweetie, you're going to come home with me, okay?" she said, not entirely sure he was listening to her. She needed to snap him out of this. Placing her hands on his knees, she pushed down, straightening his legs into a sitting position on the bed. Leaving his hands over his face, she slowly climbed on top of him, straddling his lap. She felt him stiffen at the contact, then begin trembling.

"Sirius, just hang on, okay? I'm going to apparate us over to my place," she said, sharing a look with Remus, who handed her Sirius' wand, and wrapping her arms around Sirius' shaking shoulders. Concentrating very precisely, Jeannie counted to three, whispering the numbers in Sirius' ear to prepare him, then twisted sharply, taking Sirius with her.

The next thing Sirius knew, he was landing on something soft and something soft was landing on him. Jeannie pulled back just a bit to make sure she'd landed on her bed like she'd aimed for, then placed a hand on Sirius' chest and gave a gentle push. He fell back with a small grunt, and the sudden action was enough to pull his hands from his face. He blinked rapidly, his eyes flickering around the room in a skittish-animal sort of way, before settling on Jeannie who was still on top of him.

Jeannie gave him a small smile before climbing off him and laying on her stomach next to him on her bed. The poor man was drenched in sweat and tears, and there were bags under his eyes again.

"You're going to spend the night here, is that okay with you?" she asked him quietly, now that his eyes had cleared some and she was sure he could understand her.

He was motionless for a moment, then gave a small nod.

"Okay, good. Are you hungry at all?" she asked.

Sirius shook his head.

"Okay. I am, so why don't you have a nice, hot shower while I get something to eat, hmm?" she asked, getting up and crossing the room to her dresser. Rummaging through one of the drawers, she pulled out an old t-shirt and flannel sleep pants. Waving her wand over them, she made the pants longer and the shirt a bit bigger so they'd fit Sirius.

Tossing the clothes onto the bed next to Sirius, she headed out of the room to give him some privacy. "The bathroom's right across the hall," she said.

The level of anxiety Sirius was dealing with at the moment was astronomical. _Why is she doing this? Is she mad at me? Is it pity? I'm sleeping here tonight? Wait - here, in her bed? With her? What if I have another nightmare? What if I hurt her again? What if -_

Sirius heard her moving about in what he supposed was her kitchen, and that snapped him out of his inner monologue. Sitting up, he grabbed the clothes she'd left for him and went to find the shower. Closing the door behind him, he took a look around. It was definitely a woman's bathroom. Pretty and clean, with white tiles and lavender flowers on the wallpaper. Stripping off his own clothes, he turned on the shower, making it as hot as he could stand it. Climbing in, he took a moment to enjoy the hot spray.

There was nothing in the world like a hot shower. He'd gone so very long without being properly clean that it was something he took advantage of at every opportunity. In fact, Remus had teased him when they'd first moved into Grimmauld Place about how long he spent in the shower. He couldn't help it, it was one of his favourite (and few) luxuries. He quickly scrubbed himself down, getting rid of the sweat from his nightmare and looked around for shampoo. Picking the one with the least fragrance to it, he made short work of his hair as well.

Satisfied that he was clean, Sirius turned off the spray and stepped out of the shower. He dried himself off and pulled on the clothes Jeannie'd lent him, wondering briefly who they'd belonged to originally. Crossing the hall again, he stepped back into Jeannie's bedroom, grabbed his wand and pointed it at his head to instantly dry his hair. After a moment of indecision, Sirius sat on the bed cross-legged, and waited for Jeannie to return.

He didn't have to wait long. Just a few minutes later, the lady herself reappeared, yawning. She gave Sirius a smile, and he tried to return it, but didn't quite make it. He looked a little uncomfortable, as if he wasn't completely sure he was allowed to be sitting on her bed, but she chose not to address that, instead making her way back to her dresser to get her pyjamas. She pulled out a t-shirt and soft sleep pants like the ones she'd lent Sirius and headed for the bathroom to change.

Returning to her room, she walked past Sirius and climbed into bed, patting the spot next to her. Sirius looked at her an raised an eyebrow. Jeannie rolled her eyes and shook her head, then patted the bed again. Slowly, Sirius moved up the bed and slid under the covers beside her. They both rolled onto their sides to face each other.

"I promise not to jump you in the middle of the night," she said, making his mouth twitch in amusement. "You're going to sleep here so I can be close enough if you need me. If you wake up and need something, don't hesitate to wake me up. You know where the bathroom is, and the kitchen is at the other end of the hall, so feel free to wander around if you need to. Okay?"

He nodded.

"Good. Lights out?"

Another nod.

Jeannie waved her wand and the room was bathed in darkness. She placed her wand on the nightstand and snuggled deeper into the covers. Sirius rolled onto his back and debated whether or not he really wanted to allow himself to go to sleep. There was the possibility that he would wake up in the middle of a nightmare again to find that he'd thrown Jeannie to the floor - again - and he didn't want that. He also didn't want to do anything inappropriate like fondle her in his sleep. Or wake up with an erection. Sleeping next to a woman could be dangerous, especially when one hadn't for a while. Pretty soon, however, the decision was taken out of his hands as the sound of her even breathing and the knowledge that he wasn't at Grimmauld Place lulled him into dreamland.

* * *

 

Sirius woke the next morning alone. Alone and in a strange bed. It took him a minute to recognize his surroundings and remember the events of the previous night. When he did, though, he quickly looked around to make sure Jeannie was not in the room, then grabbed her pillow and buried his face in it, inhaling deeply. Her scent was quickly becoming as comforting to him as it was arousing, and Sirius had to be careful to just smell and not allow his body to react.

Despite feeling very well-rested, he had woken up a couple times in the middle of the night to find Jeannie snuggled into his side or pressed against his front as he spooned her from behind. On each occasion, he had gently extricated himself from her for fear of his body betraying him. It was bad enough watching her walk around his house and smelling her presence there; he wasn't at all sure he could handle spooning her. In fact, he was positive that it was a bad idea.

Once he'd gotten a good sniff, he decided that he probably needed to get up and find her. And find out what time it was. Hauling himself up into a sitting position, he leaned against the headboard and grabbed his wand, casting a _tempus_ spell to get the time. Hmm, only 8 am. He could have sworn it felt later than that, although he wasn't exactly sure when he'd gotten there last night.

Sirius swung his legs out of the bed and, after coming into contact with the cold floor, transfigured his clothes from last night into a pair of slippers. He stretched, then walked out of the bedroom in search of Jeannie. As soon as he stepped into the hallway, he heard music coming from the direction of the shop downstairs where Jeannie kept what she called her 'work-out equipment'. What exactly all of that was, Sirius still wasn't sure, even though she'd tried explaining it to him.

Walking out onto the landing, he stopped dead in his tracks. Jeannie was there, all right, balancing precariously on a vertical pole like one Sirius had seen at a sleazy muggle bar one time, and wearing the shortest, tightest shorts and the smallest, tightest top he'd ever seen. There was just barely too much fabric for the clothes to be considered underwear. He watched as she swung herself around the pole gracefully and couldn't help but think how he'd never thought there would be that much strength in such a small body.

Sirius leaned against the railing and watched her go through her routine. She twisted and turned and did things that he knew for a fact were impossible. But there she was doing them. Finally, she seemed to have had enough, and slid down the pole, ending in a split on the floor. Sirius couldn't help it, he applauded. Jeannie jumped slightly, not having realized he was watching her, then grinned at him.

"Is this all part of 'acrobat'?" he called down to her.

"Yep. One of these days, I'm going to convince you to work-out with me," she said, walking up the staircase and wiping the sweat from her body.

"I wouldn't hold your breath on that, love. I'm having too much fun watching."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" she said, walking past him towards her bedroom. "I need a shower. I won't be long."

Sirius watched her grab fresh clothes and head into the bathroom, then heard the water turn on. He resisted the urge to rub his face into her discarded sweat towel, but only just. Perhaps he was becoming too much like Padfoot. Deciding to wait for her, he slipped back under the warm covers of her bed, resting his head against the headboard and began to brood.

He couldn't stay there, he knew. At some point he'd have to return to Grimmauld, to reality. This was just a temporary reprieve. Before that happened, though, he wanted - no, needed - her to know just how much her very presence was helping him deal with everything. The previous night was not the first time or the second time or even the third time that Jeannie had dropped everything and ran to his rescue. Sirius hadn't been able to speak to her before going to sleep. His nightmare had been too close and he hadn't had it in him to talk about it.

That was another thing that never ceased to amaze him. She _never_ made him talk, always waiting for him to come to her if and when he was ready. And if he wasn't ready, she never pressed him. She let him deal with things in his own way, only interfering if it directly affected her or if she thought he was doing himself harm or being harmful to the Order.

Now, watching her walk back in with her hair wrapped up in a towel, he decided he wanted to talk. Catching her eye, he patted the spot next to him like she'd done the previous night. Jeannie raised an eyebrow at him, but walked over and made herself comfortable. She looked up at him and waited for him to speak. Sirius took a deep breath before starting the heavy conversation.

"I know I've been saying this a lot, lately, but - thank you, Jeannie." Jeannie opened her mouth to answer, but he cut her off. "No, really. The people in the Order tolerate me, Remus is my best friend, Tonks is my cousin and Molly would probably 'mother' her own mother if given the chance, but you've been very kind to me. Genuinely kind, when you've had no real reason to be other than the fact that you're a very good person. I want you to know that I appreciate that. Very much."

Sirius took a deep breath, trying to find the words. "It's not easy for me to speak like this. I've spent - well, most of my life, really, hiding my emotions because every time I don't it comes back to bite me, usually in the worst way possible. My parents were not affectionate people, and I never knew that parents could be affectionate until I met James'. They truly loved their son - something I had never known, and it took a while for me to learn that that was the way it was supposed to be."

"In Azkaban, I spent an awful lot of time as a dog, because a dog's emotions are so much simpler than a human's. I had to hide, because if I didn't, there was a Dementor ready and waiting to take away whatever I had left. The vast majority of the wizarding world still looks at me with revulsion, so I've become very attached to those who don't, especially you. Let me explain - " he took another deep breath, " you and Max are the only people that didn't know me from before. You have absolutely no reason to trust me and yet you do. You have no reason to care about me and yet you do. You have no reason to be kind to me and yet you are and I want you to know that I value that immensely."

He broke eye contact with her and looked at the floor. "I'm saying this now, because I have no doubt that, at some point, I'm going to say something or do something that I'm going to have to apologize for. When that time comes, I want you to remember this conversation and remember that there are times when I'm not a bastard. My actions seem to always have harsher consequences than everyone else's and I don't want to lose your friendship because of things left unsaid. I've done that before, and I lost everything. I don't want to that again."

Jeannie was quiet for a long moment, processing Sirius opening up to her like this. "I appreciate you talking to me, Sirius," she said, finally. "I know you don't like to, but I want you to know that I don't look at you any differently because of last night. We all have demons, and yours are worse than most. There's no shame in that, and you know you can always come here when you need to. Even if I'm not here, the wards will recognize your magical signature, you can come in and do what you need to do, okay?"

Sirius nodded, then smiled at her. "I need to get back. I'll wash these clothes and you can pick them up next time you come over."

"Alright," said Jeannie, watching him get up and walk out the door. She dimly heard the floo activate, then silence. Exhaling heavily, she laid down, her back hitting the covers. _Damn, I should have kissed him,_ she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This is the end of dark Sirius for a while; the healing has begun. Did I end it well, or was it too dark?
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	17. Of Tooth And Claw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: For this chapter, we're going to take a bit of a break from J/S and have a bit more Max (I feel I've been neglecting him). Enjoy!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

A lone figure made his way through the thinning crowd, walking quickly and purposefully toward the caravans behind the big tent of the circus currently performing in Huntingdon. The market town was roughly 60 miles north of London and was a favorite stopping place for smaller, mostly family-run circuses. The man was wearing a black, knee-length peacoat and would have blended in nicely with the night if it hadn't been for his blonde hair. Very tall and very broad-shouldered, he cut an easy path through the people milling about and walked up to the third caravan, knocking on the door.

The door opened, revealing a much smaller man who looked to be as wide as he was tall. Speaking briefly to the blonde, he stepped aside to let the larger man in. Ducking so as not to hit his head, the visitor entered the small caravan, closing the door behind him. Looking around, he saw that things hadn't changed since the last time he'd been to visit. Same sofa, same table - it even looked like the same unwashed dishes in the sink.

"Would ye like a whiskey, Max?" the smaller man asked in a thick Irish accent.

"Danke," Max answered, accepting a tumbler of brown liquor and taking a seat on the small sofa.

The fat Irishman poured himself a glass and sat down in his reclining chair next to the sofa. "Now," he said, "what can I do for ye, lad?"

Max took a deep breath and started talking. He'd debated with himself for a long time about this visit, but in the end, he'd decided it was necessary. Alastar Conor was not a werewolf; what he was was a contact point. He knew every werewolf in the United Kingdom, and he knew where to find them. He was a keeper of secrets, a trustworthy messenger, a sympathetic ear. This also made him somewhat dangerous, because he knew something about everybody. The fact that he was still alive, however, spoke to his integrity and his neutrality. He was Switzerland; he knew everything and everybody and still somehow managed to stay un-involved.

Alastar listened patiently while Max spoke. Max gave him a vague overview of the information he wanted, knowing that Alastar would be able to read between the lines. He told him that he wanted to feel out the werewolf packs, see where they were in the magical scheme of things. Like the circus that Max and Jeannie were from, Alastar's circus was a mix of magic and Muggle, and the Irishman nodded knowingly when Max mentioned Dark forces on the move. Max was very careful, however, to _not_ mention things like _Dumbledore_ or _Order._

"Hmm," said Alastar, after a long silence. "Tell me somethin', lad. Are ye connected to a man named Remus Lupin?"

Max went still. He wasn't sure how to answer that without giving away the Order.

"Oh, come now, lad. Don't play coy with me. I know everyone, remember?" Alastar chuckled. "I seem to remember a time some fifteen years ago, or thereabouts, when a young man just out of that magical school in Scotland came 'round asking the same sort of questions. Wantin' to know 'who' and 'where'. So - I'll ask again - do ye know Remus Lupin?"

Max relented. "Yes, I know him," he said, choosing his words carefully. "We share some... political views."

Alastar nodded. "I thought so, lad," he said, sitting back in his chair. His face turned serious. "Do you mind if I speak frankly?" he asked.

"Please do," answered Max. He was German, after all; he liked plain talk.

"Be careful, Max," Alastar warned. "Yer not the only one askin' questions. There is a restlessness in the were's I've met lately. They seem to think that they're time is comin'. I've heard they're bein' promised things - powers and freedoms - and you know the temptation is strong. The packs are reformin', alphas are takin' charge and the few voices of reason left are bein' drowned out."

The Irishman leaned forward and pinned Max with a hard look. " Don't waste your time with them that's already followin' Fenrir Greyback. They've already made up their minds. The time for reasonin' is over. Your kind have been marginalized for too long and the resentment can't be undone. Talk to the ones that are on the fence. Find the ones like yerself - the ones that haven't been spit on and run out of town. Find the lone wolves - the ones who move on before they wear out their welcome. Those are the ones you need to be talking to. Don't bother goin' to the packs. Yeh've never been a pack wolf, and they'd know it. Ye would not be safe, lad."

Max sighed heavily and let his shoulders droop. This was not what he wanted to hear, but he knew it was the truth. Not only was Alastar Conor not a lying man, Max could smell no deception on him. The heightened senses that came with being a werewolf had their uses.

"I appreciate your advice, Alastar, and I'll take it. I have no desire to put another target on my back," Max said. "Can you give me just one name, though? Just to get me started?" He knew that if anyone could point him in the right direction, it would be Alastar.

"I think so, lad. If he's still in the country, that is. Give me a couple of days, then come and see me. I'll know then," he said, standing up to see Max out.

Max stood and shook hands with the fat Irishman. "Danke, Alastar," he said, earnestly, before stepping back out into the night. Turning up his collar against the winter chill, he made his way back through the tents and caravans. He figured he would head back to his flat in London for a couple of days before talking to Alastar again.

* * *

 

Two days after his trip up to Huntingdon, Max got a postcard in the mail. It was circus themed and had no return address, only a time and place and a single name. He packed an overnight bag just in case and headed for the train station. Hailing a taxi, he gave the driver the name of the meeting place and watched as the city flew by. Minutes later, the car pulled up outside a rather seedy-looking pub and the driver turned to Max, wanting his fare. Max paid him and got out.

_The Tooth And Claw_. Being a very logical man, Max didn't believe in coincidence and he had to chuckle at the name of the pub Alastar had sent him to. _Little_ _Irish smartass,_ he thought as he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Since it was late in the evening, the pub was fairly full, so Max decided to take a little stroll around and see if he could catch the scent of the other werewolf. Max walked around the perimeter before making his way to the bar. About halfway down the bar, it hit him. Discretely sniffing the air around him, he pinpointed the source.

He was an older man, probably close to sixty, and fairly short, but stocky. He had long black hair that fell past his shoulders and dark skin. His jeans were faded, and his black motorcycle boots had seen better days. The leather vest he wore over a long-sleeved t-shirt completed the picture and gave him an air of someone you didn't pick a fight with. Max saw him stiffen as he neared and turn around. Obviously his sense of smell was as good as Max's because his eyes immediately went to his with a look of recognition, even though they'd never met.

"Nahual?" Max asked, offering his hand.

The dark-skinned stranger nodded. "Kruger?" he asked.

Max confirmed this with a nod and they shook hands. "That table in the corner looks good, don't you think?" Max asked as he ordered a drink.

"Looks fine to me," said Nahual, heading over to it.

The two men took seats at the table in the corner as it had the best view of the pub. They could see the door, so they knew who was coming in and out and they could also see the bar so they could keep an eye on the patrons there.

"You spoke to Alastar?" Max asked, eyeing his companion. He had a long moustache, there were deep-set lines in the man's face and heavy bags under his eyes, but Max could tell that he could still hold his own. His dark eyes were calculating, but not in a menacing way, he just seemed to want to be aware of his surroundings. His hands were large and rough as though he'd done his fair share of manual labor in his time and his chest was broad.

"I did," Nahual said, nodding. "He didn't say much, though. I'm not really sure I know what we're doing here." As he spoke, Max placed his accent as Mexican.

"May I ask you a few questions before I explain why I wanted to meet?" Max asked, wanting to keep everything neutral for as long as possible. If this werewolf was sympathetic to Greyback's cause, Max didn't want him knowing too much about him.

Nahual sat back and spread his hands, indicating for Max to continue.

"Your accent sounds Mexican, am I right?" Max began.

"Yes, I was born in Oaxaca," Nahual replied.

"Are you involved with any packs here in England?"

"No. I've never been a pack wolf and I don't want to be," he said. "I make out okay by myself. Besides, all the pack wolves I've known have been very... militant."

"And that doesn't appeal to you?" Max pressed.

Nahual shook his head. "No, I'm not interested in forcing 'certain people'," he lowered his voice slightly, "into giving me things I didn't have before I was bitten. I could live without the nasty looks from people when they find out about me, but I can avoid that by keeping to myself or staying with _sympatico's_ like Alastar."

Max sniffed the air carefully to make sure Nahual was telling the truth. When he was satisfied, he decided to make himself a little clearer. "Do you know anything about a man named Fenrir Greyback?" he asked.

The Mexican's eyes darkened. "Yes, I know about him. If you're trying to recruit me for his army, you're out of luck," he growled.

Max smiled and shook his head. "No, I'd like to recruit you for the resistance."

Nahual cocked his head. "Resistance? I don't know anything about a resistance."

"We're fairly small in number, but we exist," Max explained. "We need more people. Of _all_ kinds," he clarified. "Would you be willing to fight with us? There is a Dark force that is trying to take control and we're fighting against it."

Nahual was quiet for a while. "I don't know," he said finally. "I need to think about it."

"Of course," said Max. "But don't take too long."

The Mexican raised an eyebrow as if trying to decide whether or not that was a threat.

Max explained himself. "My information says that things are moving quickly. Before long you'll be forced to make a choice whether you want to or not. It would be better to know where you stand before that happens."

Nahual nodded slowly, then made to leave. The men left money on the table and walked out together. Nahual walked over to a motorbike and climbed on before turning to Max.

"How can I reach you?" he asked.

"Contact Alastar," Max said. "He knows how to get in touch with me. If you decide you want to know more about us, there is someone else you need to meet as well."

"You'll be hearing from me, one way or another," Nahual said. He started his bike and shook hands with Max, then took off.

Max hitched his bag over his shoulder and hailed a cab to take him back to the train station. There was no point sticking around Huntingdon. He would go back to London and wait for Alastar to get back to him. With the full moon a little less than a week away, he didn't expect to hear anything at least until after that, and he needed to get back to Jeannie for his Wolfsbane. He'd taken that day's dose before catching his train, but he'd need the rest of the week's potion.

* * *

 

A week after his meeting at The Tooth And Claw, and two days after the full moon, Max got another postcard from Alastar. This one had a bit more information than the last one. It said that Nahual wanted to meet again and wanted to know if Max could set up a time and place. He immediately contacted Dumbledore through Jeannie and the headmaster said he could meet them the next evening and left the place up to Max. It was times like these that Max was jealous of the speed of magical travel. After some thought, he asked Jeannie to apparate him up to Huntingdon to see Alastar in person.

They got there just before lunch, and Max lead the way to Alastar's caravan. There were circus employees all around cleaning up from the previous night's show and setting things up for later. Jeannie smiled to herself as she felt a bit homesick winding her way through such familiar territory. It had been her whole life, after all, and there were times she sorely missed it.

Max knocked on the caravan's door and it opened almost immediately. Alastar didn't seem surprised to see Max there as he ushered them in. Max introduced Jeannie and assured the Irishman that anything he wanted to say could be said in front of her. Alastar nodded and handed Max a newspaper. It was the local paper from the day before and the headline made his blood run cold:

_'Four Children Mauled; Attack Blamed On Big Cat'_

Skimming through the article, Max discovered that on the night of the full moon, a large animal had broken into four different homes in the area and attacked four children. There were conflicting reports on what the animal looked like, but it was clearly a werewolf attack. The children hadn't been killed, just mauled, and it had Fenrir Greyback all over it.

"Nahual showed up here the mornin' after the moon, sayin' he'd made his decision," said Alastar. "Asked me to contact you, said he wanted to meet these people o' yours."

"Is he still in town?" Jeannie asked.

Alastar nodded. "He said he'd stick around until he heard from ye."

Max thought for a minute. He didn't want to meet up at the pub again; not only did he not want to risk being recognized from the other night, but someone who dressed like Albus Dumbledore (who was eccentric even for a wizard) was guaranteed to attract attention. He also didn't want to get a motel room for the same reason. They certainly couldn't meet at headquarters; that was for people who were known and trusted, nor could they meet at Jeannie's place. No, they needed somewhere fairly neutral, preferably wizarding, and discreet.

"There's always the Leaky Cauldron," Jeannie suggested, reading Max's thoughts.

"Yes," Max said slowly. He turned to Alastar. "Would he be willing to travel to London?"

"I think so. Give me a time and a place and I'll pass it on," he said, handing Max a notepad.

Max jotted down the Muggle street corner closest to the Leaky Cauldron. "I'll meet him here tomorrow evening at 7 pm. I'll have a friend with me," he said.

"I'll let him know," Alastar said, and the men shook hands. "It was lovely to meet you, lass," he added, kissing Jeannie's knuckles.

"Pleasure's all mine," she replied with a smile.

They took their leave and Jeannie apparated them back to London. Dumbledore stopped by Grimmauld that evening and Max filled him in on what details he had. Dumbledore agreed that the Leaky Cauldron was probably the safest location, and felt sure that Tom would be able to give them a private room for the meeting.

The next evening Max apparated with Dumbledore into the alley behind their meeting point and as they came around the corner, Max spotted Nahual's motorbike. The man himself was standing beside it, finishing a cigarette and looking around occasionally. Max pointed him out to Dumbledore and they made their way over to him. He and Max shook hands and Max introduced Albus.

The men headed into the Leaky Cauldron and Tom had a room waiting for them. Dumbledore ordered drinks and they got down to business. Albus explained more about the Order to Nahual, and the Mexican told them more of his story. He'd been a prize-fighter in Mexico, and fairly successful, before he was bitten. He'd been traveling late one night in the jungle and pulled over to get some sleep. A few hours later, he was awoken by growling and snarling. There was a large creature outside his car, trying desperately to find a way in.

Nahual had a gun in the car and shot the animal, thinking he'd killed it, but when he got out to see what it was, it attacked. He was bitten on the arm, but the animal died before it could kill him. He wrapped his arm up as best he could and drove himself to the nearest hospital. Being a Muggle hospital, they couldn't heal his arm, and brought in a 'specialist'. It was then that the severity of his injury was explained to him. Once his arm healed, he went back to fighting, but found that the bloodlust that came with his new condition made him uncomfortable, so he'd retired.

He was lucky, he said, because he'd had some money saved up and, since he was close to forty years old at the time, retirement was a plausible excuse for leaving the public eye. He'd been traveling ever since, living off his savings and supplementing that with day labour in the Muggle world. Since he wasn't a wizard, he had no need to interact with the magical world until it was time for the Wolfsbane. Life wasn't too hard for him, he said, because he knew how to go unnoticed. Albus then asked him why he wanted to join them.

"Since I got to England, I've heard things," he said. "I've heard about Greyback and his reputation, and it sounds like he's just as evil as people say. From what you and Kruger have told me, he's gathering followers and gaining strength. I was lucky - I was a man grown when I was bitten - but these children that he's targeting don't have a chance. It's not right. It needs to stop."

He continued, "I don't pretend to know much about magical affairs, but I've heard about an evil wizard lately. It sounds to me like he's wanting to use the werewolves as pawns in his game and I don't like that. I think it's time to choose sides, and I'm not going to let myself be used. By anyone," he added, pointedly.

Dumbledore was quiet for a while. Finally he said, "We would be glad to welcome you, Nahual. There is another werewolf in our ranks whom I would like you to meet. Perhaps you could come to our next meeting?" The man nodded. "If you decide to join us, we have an excellent potioneer who would be willing, I'm sure, to provide you with Wolfsbane for free."

"I'll have Max contact you with the details of our next meeting," he said, getting up. "Until then, it's been a pleasure meeting you." They shook hands.

Max and Nahual exchanged contact information so they wouldn't have to go through Alastar Conor anymore and the three men walked out of the pub together. Nahual went back to is bike and Dumbledore led Max back into the alley to disapparate unnoticed. When they got back to headquarters, Dumbledore asked Max to fill Remus in on the events of the evening, then floo'd back to the school. Max and Remus spoke for a while before Max decided it was time for him to head home. Nothing could be done until the next Order meeting anyway, but he did feel like he'd accomplished something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: 'Nahual' is a classic Mexican werewolf legend. Different regions of Mexico have different versions, but the one from Oaxaca sounded the most like Ms. Rowling's descriptions, so that's the one I went with. Also, I know Max's story and Nahual's story about shooting the werewolf sound alike, but there was really no other way to make it seem realistic to me (or, as realistic as it's possible to be when one is talking about werewolves), so forgive me if there are too many parallels for you. When I described Nahual, I was thinking of Danny Trejo, if that helps.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	18. Jeannie's Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I looked up the November 15 astrology chart for fun, and it basically told me that Jeannie is intelligent, strong, capable, and intuitive. I think it fits, so I'm making that her birthday. I know Max found her in October, but since nobody knew exactly when she'd been born, the circus decided to make her 'birthday' the day that they decided to keep her. After spending weeks trying to find her biological parents, the search was called off on November 15th, so that's her birthday. Also, Jeannie calls Ted and Andromeda 'mom' and 'pops' like she does Molly and Arthur. Since she grew up without parents, those names are more like earned titles rather than familial titles. I hope that makes sense. This chapter isn't quite as long as some others, but it was fun to write. I enjoy it and I think you will, too.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"We're here!" Tonks called as soon as she and Jeannie crossed the threshold.

"There's my girls!" a warm voice said from their left. Jeannie turned to find the slightly rotund form of Ted Tonks smiling at them from the doorway of the sitting room of the Tonks' house.

"Hey, pops," she said, coming in for a hug. Ted gathered her in his arms and held her close, showing her she was precious to him. He always gave the best hugs. That was the first thing Jeannie noticed about him the when she'd met Tonks' parents. She and Tonks had immediately hit it off on the train at the start of their fifth year, and they'd only gotten closer as the year went on, so when Tonks went home for Christmas, Jeannie had come as well and Ted and Andromeda had treated her as a member of the family ever since, which included celebrating her birthday.

"Happy birthday, sweetie," he said releasing her with a kiss on the head and reaching for his daughter. Tonks stumbled into her father's embrace and hugged him tightly 'round the middle. When she'd gotten her kiss on the head, she asked him where her mother was.

"Well, she was in the kitchen earlier," he said, leading them into the house. "I know this because she kicked me out of the kitchen right after breakfast."

"Oh, you poor thing," Jeannie snickered.

"My thoughts exactly!" Ted said, with a mock-serious face. "I didn't even get my mid-morning snack. I need sustenance!"

Tonks laughed. "I doubt you'll be dying of hunger anytime soon, dad," she said, poking him in the side as they entered the kitchen.

"You never know," he insisted. "It could cause my blood-sugar to plummet and send me into diabetic shock."

"Ted, please tell me you're not still whining about food," said Andromeda Tonks, standing at the counter and putting the finishing touches on a birthday cake.

"Of course not, dear," he said, going over to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "When have you ever known me to whine?"

Andromeda shook her head in a long-suffering way, then stepped out from under her husband's arm to come over and hug the girls. As she approached, Jeannie had a minor epiphany. Since she'd always known the older woman as a Tonks, it had been easy to forget that she had been born a Black. It wasn't easy anymore, though, as Jeannie immediately saw the family resemblance between Andromeda and Sirius. Andromeda had light-brown hair and her honey eyes were slightly wider than her cousin's, but the facial structure was almost identical. If she'd had black hair and silver eyes they might have passed for twins, despite the age difference.

When everyone had been hugged and fussed over, they sat down to lunch. Unlike her daughter, Andromeda had a flair for household spells and she was nearly as good a cook as Molly Weasley. With a flick of her wrist, the ham she'd made for Jeannie's birthday carved itself as they filled their plates and the conversation continued.

"'Dora, dear, how's work going?" Andromeda asked.

"Fine, mum," Tonks answered. "We've been really busy lately, that's why I haven't been able to come over. Been pulling a lot of double shifts."

"Sounds like they're over-working you, dear," her mother said, concerned.

"Nah, I got today off, didn't I? Even though it's Wednesday," Tonks said, dismissing her mother's worries.

"As long as you're still happy, sweetheart, that's all that matters," said Ted.

"I am, dad, I still love it," Tonks said.

"Has there been any news about... ?" Andromeda began carefully.

Ted laid a hand over his wife's. "Leave it be, 'Dromeda," he said gently.

Jeannie looked at Tonks to see what they were on about. Tonks looked a little uncomfortable and shook her head slightly, telling Jeannie not to speak.

"Last I heard, they were chasing a lead in Tibet, mum," she said, clearly wanting to close the subject.

_Tibet,_ Jeannie thought, _who's chasing what in Tibet?_ She threw a confused look at Tonks who looked back at her pointedly as if waiting for her to catch up. Then it dawned on her. Her eyes widened slightly, but Tonks gave her a warning look, so she quickly schooled her features. _Of course,_ she thought, _Kingsley had_ _been feeding the Auror department information that Sirius was hiding in Tibet._ But that meant that Sirius' favorite cousin still thought he was a murderer. Which meant that Dumbledore hadn't seen fit to tell Andromeda the truth. Even though it would probably mean a lot to Sirius to know that Andromeda was on his side.

Jeannie felt a strong resentment towards the headmaster flow through her. It was one thing to keep certain information from an emotional teenager, but it was something else to keep information from a potential ally. He'd seen fit to accept Tonks into the Order; what possible harm could there be with reuniting Sirius and Andromeda? Even if the older Tonks' didn't want to join the Order, Sirius and Andromeda had been very close as children and Jeannie could tell that it still hurt Andromeda to think that her favorite relative was a murderer.

Rolling her eyes at Dumbledore's high-handedness, Jeannie went back to her food as if nothing had happened. Soon the conversation picked up again, and she found herself telling the Tonks' all about her most recent tour. She and Tonks spent a good few hours at Tonks' parents house catching up. She hadn't seen them in a long time, and it felt good to be back with people she considered family.

"Well, we'd better get going," said Jeannie, after they'd stayed for tea. Molly had made them promise to come over to headquarters for supper and had insisted on baking Jeannie a cake as well. She said goodbye to Ted and Andromeda, enjoyed one more fantastic hug from Ted, and the two girls apparated back to Tonks' flat for some girl-time before heading over to Grimmauld.

* * *

 

"Tonks, why are you wearing a tutu?" Sirius asked as she walked in to the sitting room of Number 12.

"Because it's pretty," she said, as if that should have been obvious. She'd found it at the very back of her closet earlier and had decided that it was a day for tutu's. Taking a seat on one of the sofas, she smiled at Remus in greeting.

"Okay, but why are you wearing a pretty tutu?" Sirius pressed.

Tonks huffed at his stupidity. "It's Jeannie's birthday and Molly is baking a cake. Technically that makes it a party. Tutu's are perfectly acceptable attire for parties," she explained.

Sirius looked over at Remus and shook his head, clearly baffled.

"Don't look at me," Remus said. "Tonks is a grown woman, she can wear a tutu if she wants."

"Yeah, if she were a ballerina, but wearing one over a pair of jeans and Wellies just makes no sense," Sirius said, clearly not having learned by now that trying to inject logic into his cousin's wardrobe was, by her own admission, a massive waste of time. After all, this was a girl who still wore socks with the name of the day on them just for fun. It was usually the wrong day, too.

"It's _pink,_ Sirius" Tonks defended. "It matches my hair, therefore it makes _perfect_ sense!"

"It looks ridiculous!"

"That's what makes it awesome!"

"So you're trying to look ridiculous?"

"I'm trying to look pretty! What's wrong with looking pretty? Tutu's are pretty!"

Remus sighed and let his head fall back onto the back of the sofa. _Honestly_ , he thought, _why couldn't they be in a room with each other for more than five_ _minutes without a pointless argument?_ He decided that it must be a Black family trait, because they were equally good at winding the other up over absolutely nothing. Case in point, the tutu. Yes, tutu's were fairly ridiculous, but the woman wearing it liked to wear her hair in short pink spikes so, in his opinion, the tutu did make a certain sense. There was no way he was actually going to say this out loud, however, as he didn't want the two cousins turning on him. He'd made that mistake before, thank you very much, and since he wanted this argument to end sometime today, he was content to keep his mouth shut.

Sirius, unfortunately, wasn't. "Moony, tell her I'm right," the animagus pleaded.

Remus clamped his mouth shut and shook his head which, apparently, made Tonks think she'd won.

"Ha!" she cried, pointing at Remus. "See? Remus can't find anything wrong with it, and he's smarter than you!"

"He's just too nice to say anything that might hurt your feelings," Sirius countered. "And who says he's smarter than me?!"

"Oh, so you don't care about hurting my feelings? Everyone knows he's smarter than you - he was a professor!"

At this point Remus gave up. Putting down his book, since there was no possibilty whatsoever of getting back to it with those two in the room, he got up and went in search of Jeannie to wish her a happy birthday. He found her in the kitchen perched on the counter and talking to Molly. She was wearing tight black jeans, high-heeled black boots and a white sweater. He saw her black leather jacket draped over a chair and thought how happy Sirius would be when he saw that she'd worn her hair down as well. She looked up when he entered the room and smiled at him.

"Happy birthday, love," he said, giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek. While Remus had thoroughly enjoyed their little interlude two years ago, in all honesty, Jeannie was far too intense for him and he was perfectly happy to simply be her friend now.

"Thanks, Remus. Where are Tonks and Sirius?" she asked.

"In the sitting room, arguing over Tonks' tutu," he answered with a sigh.

"Tonks' what?" Molly asked.

"Tutu," said Remus. "Little pink frilly thing that looks a bit like a skirt. Ballerinas wear them."

"Oh," Molly shrugged, going back to her baking.

A few minutes later, Tonks came skipping into the kitchen with Sirius in tow. Remus looked at them warily, wondering if they'd left their argument in the other room. As usual, just before getting to where she wanted to be, Tonks tripped and crashed into the counter. Sirius laughed loudly at this and Tonks scowled at him.

Recovering quickly, she turned to Molly. "Do you like my tutu, Molly?" she asked, playing with the fabric. Remus groaned.

"I do, dear," Molly said fondly. "It's very pretty, matches your hair."

Remus couldn't help but laugh at the way Tonks' face lit up like she'd just won a major victory, then turned around and stuck her tongue out at her cousin. Sirius looked positively outraged, and opened his mouth to argue but Remus was quicker, flicking his wand and hitting Sirius with a sliencing charm. Sirius' expression turned from outraged to dangerous as he realized what happened, but Remus held up his hand.

"We'll let Jeannie decide this. Since it's her birthday, she shouldn't be subjected to stupid arguments unless she wants to be." He turned to her. "Do you want to be?"

"Not particularly," she answered - sensibly, in Remus' opinion.

Remus looked pointedly at Sirius, who glared mutinously back before sighing and nodding, silently indicating that it would be safe to remove the charm. Remus did so and Sirius immediately blew a massive raspberry at his cousin before sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest in a very child-like manner. Tonks probably would have reacted to this if Molly hadn't stopped cooking long enough to give them both a look.

"Molly, you know you don't have to cook for me," Jeannie said pointlessly, knowing that the mother-hen matriarch would do exactly as she pleased, but feeling like it should be said anyway.

"Oh, I know dear, but it's your birthday! After all, you only get to be twenty-two once," said Molly, not missing a beat.

_Twenty-two?,_ Sirius thought, doing a little math in his head. He leaned over to Remus, who'd taken the chair next to him. "When did you and her happen? What month?" he asked quietly.

Remus thought for a minute. "Beginning of October, if I remember correctly. Why?"

A dirty grin spread across Sirius' face. "Because if that happened in October two years ago, that means she was just nineteen at the time," he muttered, laughter in his voice.

Remus' eyes widened in horror. He looked at Sirius, who was trying not to laugh out loud, then at Jeannie sitting on the counter. It was true that he hadn't really given any thought to her age at the time, but he had assumed that she was no longer a teenager. Jeannie caught his gaze and frowned at his expression.

"You okay?" she mouthed at him.

Remus blinked, then nodded jerkily, his eyes moving to the table. "Shut up, will you?" he hissed at Sirius, who was snorting amusedly.

"Sorry," Sirius said, quieting but not looking sorry. If anything, he was looking at Remus as if he was proud of him. Thankfully, Remus was spared having to respond by Max walking in. The giant German walked straight up to Jeannie, hooked one arm around her waist and the other under her knees and proceeded to swoop her up from the counter into his arms and toss her around like a rag-doll.

Sirius might have been concerned about this if it hadn't been for Jeannie's squeals of delight. Having never seen them perform together, it still looked a bit strange to him to see the way Jeannie and Max dealt with each other physically. It was not uncommon for Jeannie to sit on Max's knee even when there was a perfectly good chair available. It was fairly normal, too, to see Max pick Jeannie up bodily and move her if she was in his way. They stole food off each other's plates and drank out of the same glass. There was nothing sexual about the way they moved together, it was simply two people who were perfectly in tune to the other.

"Please be careful, Max," Molly pleaded, not quite comfortable with the whole scene.

Max grinned at her. "Sure, Molly," he said, tossing Jeannie over his shoulder, but letting her down gently (albeit upside down), mindful of the height difference between them. Sirius got a treat as her sweater rode up, temporarily displaying various ink patterns.

"Nice view," Sirius commented with a leer.

Jeannie made a face at him, which was all the more hilarious because she was doing a handstand at the time. Righting herself, she pulled her sweater down while raising an eyebrow at Sirius, who grinned back unapologetically. His expression changed, however, when he noticed Max also giving him a look. Just a side-long glance, but the meaning was unmistakeable. It had been a very long time since he'd had to deal with a protective older brother, but he hadn't forgotten how to tread lightly - especially when said brother was built like a mountain. It made no difference that Max didn't carry a wand; he didn't need one to inflict damage.

"Molly, dear?" came Arthur's voice from the door.

"Here, Arthur," she answered. Arthur walked into the room and put his arms around his wife, giving her a loving kiss on the cheek. Molly blushed and shooed him away, so he turned to Jeannie. "Happy birthday, sweetie," he said, pulling her into a hug.

"Hi, pops. How was your day?" she asked.

"Pretty good, actually," he said, taking a seat. "I was finally able to track down the man who was selling fake flying carpets."

"Fake flying carpets?" Tonks repeated.

Arthur nodded. "Yes. They flew, alright, but they also tried to smother whoever was riding them. We had three people in St. Mungo's last month who swore that their rugs were murderous. Turns out there's a wizard in Dorset buying ordinary Muggle rugs and using rather shoddy charmwork to make them fly, then selling them cheap. Probably an associate of Mundungus' if you ask me. Seems like the sort of scheme old 'Dung would be a part of."

"So was this guy trying to kill people?" Sirius asked.

"Oh, I don't think so, just not very good at charms," Arthur answered.

"Alright, everyone," Molly broke in, guiding several floating dishes to the table. "Let's eat."

It was a relatively small gathering, but that was fine with Jeannie. With the exception of Charlie, who'd had to go back to Romania, she'd been able to spend time with all her non-circus family, and that's all that mattered. Bill and Fleur showed up in time for cake and Sirius had dug up a couple of bottles of elf-made wine for everyone. Growing up the way she had, Jeannie had learned early on how to appreciate the moments of calm and happiness, and with the massive changes in her life over the past few months, she couldn't help but relax completely - if only for an evening.

She and Max showed the group a couple of tricks that looked much more complicated and dangerous than they really were, and Sirius and Remus told a few stories from their school-days. It was late when Jeannie decided it was time for bed. Sirius offered her one of the guest bedrooms, but she wanted her own bed, so she said goodnight to everyone but Molly and Arthur, who'd left earlier seeing as Arthur had to be at work the next morning, and floo'd back to her place. She'd eaten more that day than she had in months and it caught up to her as she laid down. Pulling the covers over herself, she snapped her fingers to kill the lights and fell asleep almost instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Something we've been waiting for coming up in the next chapter!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	19. A Helping Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I've had this chapter written since before posting chapter 1, and it feels good to finally get to present it! 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Jeannie got to Grimmauld Place early. December was upon them, and she'd dressed accordingly. Flannel-lined jeans tucked into her (and Sirius') favorite motorcycle boots, paired with a heavy, over-sized purple sweater with a tank-top underneath. She'd brought her leather jacket, too, just in case she had to leave the warmth of the house. After giving the men plenty of time to get a good ogle, she dragged them upstairs with her so they could get to work.

She had gotten Sirius and Remus to agree to help her finish cleaning out the room she was using as a lab for the Wolfsbane and various healing potions that everyone agreed would be good to keep on hand, especially at headquarters. One never knew who was going to show up with some kind of injury or problem and, with tonight being the full moon, she knew Max and Remus would be showing up the next day with the usual bumps and bruises. She had taken over most of the brewing from Snape and the small space they had cleared out by shoving everything else to the side simply wasn't enough anymore. She needed to be able to use the whole room, not just one corner of it.

They got the room cleaned up fairly quickly, the only problem being Sirius' mood. He was sick of being cooped up in the house that he hated and still couldn't understand why Remus wouldn't let him accompany him for his transformations. The last time he'd been able to go to Jeannie's place was Halloween - a good six weeks ago - and it was getting to him. He spent the morning grumbling like a petulant child and by the time they broke for lunch, he was giving everyone the silent treatment, only grunting when absolutely necessary.

After lunch, Remus and Jeannie went back up to the lab for Remus' last dose of Wolfsbane.

Jeannie sighed and shook her head. "The last time I saw his temper like this was when Dumbledore said he was going to have Snape teach Harry Occlumency."

"I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a bit of shouting later, so just be aware of that if you decide to stick around today," Remus warned, knowing that Jeannie liked keeping Sirius company during 'that time of the month'.

"I am going to stay," she confirmed. "I don't want him alone when he's like this."

"You're choice, just remember what I said. Max is here," he added, cocking his head toward the door. Sure enough, moments later, a large blonde head peered around the door and smiled tiredly. Jeannie filled a goblet and held it out for him. He sighed and entered the room, taking the potion and downing it in three large gulps, then making a face as the taste hit him.

"I'm sorry! You know I can't do anything about the taste," she defended.

Max smiled at her. "I know," he said, then made to leave.

"Hey, you just got here!" Jeannie complained.

"And now I'm leaving," he said, planting a kiss on her cheek and heading for the door. "Thanks for the poison," and then he was gone. Remus laughed when she pouted.

"Really!" she huffed. "You'd think he only loved me for my potions."

* * *

 

Jeannie was sitting in the kitchen when Sirius suddenly burst into the room muttering darkly about evil, useless house-elves. She had, of course, decided to stick around - if for nothing more than moral support. She would have liked to take him over to her place for a while, but since Remus was going to be indisposed that night, Sirius had to stay at headquarters in case something happened. So she'd stayed; something told her that he _needed_ company even if he didn't _want_ it and from what she was hearing, it sounded to her like Kreacher had been caught stashing away family heirlooms again to prevent Sirius from throwing them out. She watched as Sirius opened a few cabinet doors and slammed them shut again before finding the one with his whiskey glasses.

"Damn Molly," he grumbled. "Always hiding my favorite drinking glass."

This caused Jeannie to chuckle and Sirius spun around in alarm, clearly unaware that there was anyone still in the house. He sighed in a mixture of relief and exasperation, then reached for another glass. "Feel free to have a drink," he said, setting one down in front of her, "but I'll warn you - I'm in a foul fucking mood and will be a really shitty host."

She watched him turn and leave the room, then decided to follow him. He stormed into the sitting room that held the liquor cabinet, opened a bottle of firewhiskey and poured himself a generous amount. Slamming the bottle down, he started pacing up and down the room. Jeannie entered the room calmly, went over to the liquor cabinet, poured herself a modest glass and put the bottle away. Then she turned around and hopped up to sit on top of the cabinet. She slowly sipped her whiskey while watching Sirius wear a path in the rug.

Sirius looked over at her and glared when he saw that the way she sat prevented him from opening the cabinet and getting another glass of booze. This didn't seem to phase her, though, as she quietly met his stare. He knew she was waiting for him to explode and he also knew that he was powerless to stop it. He'd been good; he hadn't allowed himself a good tantrum in weeks and it was time. He was wound tight as a spring and he knew that if he didn't do something about it, he would lose all control and do something there would be real consequences for.

Figuring that it was safest to lose his temper around Jeannie since she always seemed to be able to handle him, especially at his worst, he decided it would be okay to let go a little. He could feel his anger bubbling over anyway so, after finishing his drink, he threw the glass into the fireplace where it shattered into a million pieces and rounded on her.

"What's wrong, Sirius?" he mocked in a high pitched voice. "EVERYTHING! I hate this bloody house and that fucking house-elf - who, by the way, has always hated me - I hate being chained up! I hate Remus having to spend the full moons alone - " he paused for breath and resumed pacing. "I hate Dumbledore and not being able to tell Harry anything! I hate living down the hall from my mother, who didn't even have the decency to die without tormenting me! I hate that I haven't had a shag since 1981! I HATE MY LIFE!" he finished in a mighty shout.

He stopped pacing in front of the writing desk on the opposite side of the room from Jeannie. Bracing his arms on the desk, he leaned wearily on it with his back to her and took several deep breaths. Hanging his head, he spoke again, his voice hoarse.

"I try, Jeannie. I really do - but there's _nothing_ for me here. I loathe every inch of this place and everything in it. I swore when I was sixteen that I'd never set foot in here again and sometimes I wonder why I bothered breaking out of Azkaban." His body sagged against the desk as though his outburst had sapped the last of his strength. She could almost feel the pain he was in.

This was what Remus had warned her about. Perhaps all the time he spent with Remus on the full moon in dog form when they were younger had given him a sixth sense. Perhaps he was feeling the moon as well as Remus and Max - just to a lesser degree. She made a decision. She couldn't do anything about his living situation - even when he could escape to her place for a while, he still had to come back here eventually - but she could give him the kind of comfort only a woman could provide. It was something she'd been thinking about since he'd opened up to her the morning after Halloween, and something she knew would be good for both of them.

"Sirius," she said quietly, after a minute of silence.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "All you ever see is the worst of me. I hate that, too."

"Sirius," she repeated.

Sirius sighed heavily and turned around. He kept his head down, looking up at her through his long, black hair. It was almost as if he was waiting for her to yell at him or hex him for his moment of weakness. She smiled softly and crooked her finger at him.

"Come here," she said. His brow furrowed in confusion, but he moved toward her, stopping about halfway and looking unsure of himself.

She beckoned him again. "Come here."

He looked at her for a moment, then moved to stand directly in front of her. He kept his head down and didn't meet her eye. When she reached up and gently cupped his stubbled cheek, however, his eyes snapped to hers. Dark brown met steel grey as she looked at him tenderly and he melted into her touch.

"I don't just see the worst of you, Sirius, I see the good too. And I like what I see." Jeannie ran the back of her knuckles down his cheek, softly stroking. "I can't do anything about a lot of things, but I can help with one problem," she said, tracing his jaw line.

His look of confusion returned before he realized what he'd said earlier. He removed her hand from his cheek and shook his head. "Jeannie, I wasn't suggesting anything- "

"I know," she cut him off. "Just trust me for a minute. We can stop whenever you need to." He shook his head again, wanting to argue, but Jeannie put a finger to his lips to silence him. "Shhh," she said, tracing his lips with her finger. "I'm going to kiss you, Sirius" she told him.

His eyes fluttered closed as she leaned in. Pressing her lips ever so softly against his, she slid one hand around the back of his neck to hold him to her. He was shaking, so he braced his hands on either side of her legs and leaned into her kiss. Her lips were soft and he couldn't stop himself from responding. Jeannie licked at his bottom lip until he opened up to her. When he did, she slid her tongue inside his mouth to stroke his. Sirius let out a pained whine and instinct took over. It had been _so long_ since he'd been kissed, he wasn't even sure if he was doing it right, but Jeannie was making all the right noises, so he let it go. He regained his senses only when she began unbuttoning his shirt. He pulled back slightly, but she wasn't having that.

"Shhh," she soothed again, catching his lip between her teeth and nibbling gently, making him moan and shudder.

Whenever Jeannie was around, Sirius stayed in various states of arousal. He didn't know if it was just because it had been longer than he cared to admit since he'd had a woman or if there was something about her specifically, but Jeannie Jones did it for him and, at that moment, he was painfully hard. Standing there, his hips cradled between her legs as she sat on his liquor cabinet, he unconsciously began to rub against her as they snogged like teenagers. He didn't even realize it until she moaned into his mouth and tightened her thighs around him. Again he tried to pull back and again she prevented it.

"Easy, baby," she said, as she got the last button on his shirt undone. He leaned his forehead against hers, panting heavily, as she began a slow exploration of his chest. He moaned and writhed as she touched him, tracing his scars, his tattoos, his battle wounds. "I love the sounds you make, baby" she told him, running her hands all over his chest and stomach, then around to caress his back, feeling the muscles tense and relax. "I love that _I'm_ the one doing this to you." Sirius didn't answer - he couldn't form words at the moment, but Jeannie knew that he needed to hear these things.

Sirius was thin - too thin - but his muscle structure was to die for. The athlete in Jeannie told her that if she could get him to train with her just a bit, then he'd fill out again. It wasn't lack of food making him skinny, it was lack of physical activity. That was something she _could_ help with. She had no problem imagining what he'd looked like when he was younger. No wonder he'd had so much female attention. There was something raw about his masculinity. Sirius brought her back to the present with another whine and, instead of removing his shirt completely as he expected her to, she went for his jeans. This time he did stop her.

"No," he said, grabbing her wrists. "Jeannie, I - it's been so, so long. I won't last, I -"

"Sirius," she said, speaking as if trying to calm a skittish animal (which wasn't far from the truth at the moment). "I don't want you to last. I want to make you feel good." Taking his hands in hers, she guided them back to where they'd been on either side of her thighs. "Please?" she added, kissing him once more.

She wanted to do this for him, badly, but she waited until he looked her in the eye and nodded. She grinned at him and went back to work undoing his jeans. Sirius' eyes slammed shut and he swallowed hard as he heard the zipper go down. Jeannie nuzzled his neck as his head dropped to her shoulder and ran her fingers through his treasure trail, making him whine again, then shoved his jeans down just enough to free him. Sirius exhaled sharply as his cock sprang free and bobbed in the air. His hands clenched into fists as he looked at her, pleading silently for her to do something - anything.

"Don't worry, baby," she cooed huskily, "I'll take care of you."

She ran her hand down his chest one more time, enjoying the way his whole body trembled at her touch, then finally wrapped her fingers around his shaft. She didn't even get one good stroke in, however, before his knees gave out. Sirius collapsed on the floor in front of her, panting and whining, and raised his head to give her that pleading look again. She took pity on him, sliding sensually off the liquor cabinet with Sirius watching her every move, and landed on her knees in front of him.

Spitting onto her palm, Jeannie wrapped her hand around him again, earning a deep groan, and began working him. Sirius started mumbling a mix of pleas and curses which eventually became nearly sobs of pleasure. It had been far too long since someone had touched him like this. During the several wanks he'd had since she came into his life, he'd always imagined her hands in place of his own, but he now knew that his fantasies paled in comparison to the real thing. She pumped him steadily, and when he looked as though he was about to slump forward, she fisted a hand in his hair and yanked his head back roughly.

"Oh, fuck!" Sirius yelled, the slight pain being the only thing keeping him from passing out from the pleasure. "So close, so close," he repeated over and over.

Jeannie raised herself a little higher on her knees and licked his exposed neck once. He writhed and sobbed, so she decided to give him what she'd promised. Picking a nice spot on his neck, she poised her mouth over it. Then she simultaneously yanked his head back farther, gave a rough tug on his cock, and bit down harshly on the sensitive skin.

Sirius damn near screamed as he came - his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his cock twitched in her hand, his release shooting out and coating his stomach and her shirt. He grabbed the back of her head to keep her at his neck and braced the other hand behind him to keep from falling over as his hips bucked violently. Finally, it was too much, and he did fall over, pulling Jeannie on top of him. She readjusted herself so that she was straddling him with his cock trapped between their bodies. Planting her hands just above his shoulders, she arched her body to rub against his sensually and kissed him passionately. Sirius' heart was still racing and his mind still foggy as he threaded one hand into her hair and the other traveled down her back to squeeze her arse, pressing her even tighter against him.

Breaking the kiss, she looked down at him and grinned. He smiled back stupidly and she couldn't help but laugh. Kissing him once more, she sat up - still on his lap - and snapped her fingers to clean up the mess wordlessly and wandlessly. Sirius raised his eyebrows. His witch was full of surprises today.

"Am I going to be allowed to repay the favor?" he asked, running his hands up and down her denim-clad thighs.

She smiled. "No, not right now," she said, reaching up and tracing a tattoo.

"Why not?" The last thing Sirius wanted was to take advantage of her.

"Because this was about you, not me."

"Jeannie - "

"Sirius," she said, cutting him off. "You're not taking advantage of me. I wouldn't allow that. This has nothing to do with pity, I just really wanted to do that and now seemed to be a good time. You enjoyed it, didn't you?"

"Very much, but - "

"No. No 'buts'. You enjoyed it, I enjoyed it. Good enough for me. You'll get your chance, don't worry."

Sirius opened his mouth to argue, but at that moment they heard someone come through the floo connection in the kitchen. They looked at each other wide-eyed like teenagers caught in a broom closet, then Jeannie leapt up and brought Sirius with her. He hurriedly tucked himself back into his jeans and did up the buttons on his shirt while Jeannie ran a hand through her hair to tame it.

"Sirius?" they heard Molly call from the kitchen.

"Coming Molly!" he shouted back, but before he could make it out of the room, Jeannie grabbed the front of his shirt and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Next time I'll suck your brains out through your cock," she hissed heatedly, nipping his jaw sharply, then pulled back grinning and left to find Molly.

Sirius growled and followed, shaking his head. What had he just gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Perhaps it's just my fantasy, but I always pictured Sirius as the 'rough-and-tumble' type who wouldn't mind a bit of biting and hair pulling. Was it evil of me to not warn you? ;)
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	20. Jeannie's First Assignment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Everybody like the last chapter? Good. Things are about to get serious.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Bad luck. That was all Sirius had the rest of the night. When he and Jeannie made it to the kitchen to greet Molly, the Weasley mother announced that she'd decided to make supper at headquarters that night, and proceeded to tell them all about her day. Sirius sat through it patiently, figuring that when she and Arthur left he would get some more alone-time with Jeannie. He was wrong.

Molly was followed by Kingsley, who stayed much longer than he said he would on account of dessert. Kingsley was followed by Arthur, who was late getting off because of some emergency involving a Muggle kitchen appliance in Kent that was attacking it's owner, and Arthur was followed by Mad-Eye, who not only stayed for drinks after supper, but insisted on regaling them with tales of his Auror days.

" - so I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and threw him in a holding cell. Let him stew for a couple of days," Moody nodded, apparently approving of his own actions. "He was ready to talk when we let him out."

Sirius grunted in reply, which seemed to satisfy the old Auror, and glanced at the clock. It read 1:30 am. He looked over at Jeannie who was clearly asleep on the sofa. _Well, damn,_ he thought. Sirius finally had a woman within reach and the fates were conspiring against him. He certainly wasn't going to wake her up simply because he was horny. He wasn't that desperate. Well, he _was_ , but he wasn't that big of an arsehole. If he could only get Moody out of the house, he could go to bed and take care of things himself. His own hand was nowhere near as satisfying as hers (as he now knew), but it did the job and it would tide him over.

"I'm sorry, Alastor, but I've got to go to bed," he said with an exaggerated yawn.

Moody grunted. "Of course you do, lad," he said. "I didn't mean to keep you up all night. Sometimes when I start talking about the old days, I lose track of the time."

"That's alright," Sirius grinned. "You know you can take one of the spare bedrooms if you want."

"Nah, I'll go home," Moody said, getting up slowly and reaching for his walking stick. "Throw a blanket over her, will you, lad?" He gestured to Jeannie.

"Yeah. Goodnight, Alastor."

"'Night, lad." Mad-Eye walked out of the room and Sirius heard the front door open and close a few moments later. The floo network was Moody's latest paranoia; he preferred to apparate on and off of the front step of Grimmauld. Sirius sighed and grabbed the blanket off the back of Jeannie's sofa. Enlarging it and making it heavier so it would keep out the draft of the old house, he covered Jeannie up. She looked comfortable, so he didn't see any reason to move her up to one of the empty bedrooms and he didn't think it would be a good idea to put her in his bed, as much as he liked the thought. He tucked the blanket in around her feet and went to bed.

The next morning Jeannie was awoken by the floo. She rolled over and opened her eyes to see an exhausted looking Remus step out of the fireplace and she jumped up to help him. He seemed surprised to see her there, but wasn't quite ready for talking yet, so she helped him up to his room and put him to bed, knowing what he needed most right now was rest. She wasn't worried about Max; he transformed in his flat so that when the sun rose, his bed was right there.

Closing Remus' door, Jeannie headed down to the kitchen to find Molly there again. She had a huge pot on the stove and it smelled like the start of chicken soup. She'd made coffee as well, for which Jeannie was grateful. Greeting the older woman, she poured herself a cup and sat down to enjoy it.

"Did you spend the night here, dear?" Molly asked, eyeing Jeannie's clothes, which were the same she'd worn the day before.

Jeannie yawned and nodded. "Mad-Eye decided to tell Sirius and I a bed-time story. Or ten. I fell asleep on the couch after number four, I think."

"Someone say my name?" Sirius asked from the doorway.

"Good morning, Sirius," Molly greeted.

"Morning, Molly," Sirius replied, heading for coffee. "Chicken soup?" he asked, nodding to the pot.

"Yes. There's a meeting tonight and Remus will need his strength. Jeannie, there'll be enough for Max, too, if he wants to come over here," she offered.

"Oh, Max is fine," Jeannie said. "He stocks up on food before the moon so he doesn't have to leave the flat until he's rested. Thanks, though."

Molly nodded and went back to her cooking. Sirius got his coffee and came to sit next to Jeannie, winking at her when Molly wasn't looking. Jeannie smiled at him and nudged his foot with hers. Sirius smirked at her and let his eyes travel up and down her body slowly, his gaze heating up. Jeannie rolled her eyes at him. Finishing her coffee, she stood up and announced that she was going to head home for a while. Having left her wand in the sitting room, she headed back there, figuring she'd use that fireplace to floo back.

Sirius waited a few moments before making his move. "I'll be right back, Molly," he said. "I forgot I wanted to talk to Jeannie about something." Standing up, he made his way to the sitting room as well. Just in time, too, because Jeannie was reaching for the floo powder.

Sirius came up behind her silently. Grabbing her arm, he spun her around and pushed her up against the wall next to the fireplace. With a growl, he pressed himself against her and claimed her mouth, forcing her lips apart and delving inside. He groaned at tasting her again and brought a hand up to her hair, threading his fingers through the long tresses. Jeannie moaned and slipped her hands under his shirt, raking her nails across the sensitive skin of his sides.

"Fuck, Jeannie..." Sirius hissed, breaking away from her mouth and pushing his hips against hers.

Jeannie chuckled quietly. "Calm down, Sirius," she said. "I really do need to go home for a while."

Sirius growled again. "What for?"

"A shower, for one thing."

"Wrong. I love the way you smell," he replied, running his nose along her neck.

She let him continue for a moment (it did feel good), but pushed him away slightly when Molly's voice floated into the room. Bringing his face back to hers, she kissed him passionately once more, then pushed him away again gently, but firmly.

"I'll be back, I promise. We have a meeting tonight, remember?" she said.

"I can't touch you during the meeting," Sirius countered, pouting.

"No, but you can touch me after the meeting... " she said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Ahhh... " he said, his face lighting up instantly. "Promise? Please?"

"I promise."

Sirius backed off just enough to let her slip away, smacking her arse as she did so. She gave a yelp and turned back to him with a reproachful look on her face, but her eyes told the truth. They were darker than normal and Sirius knew that she'd liked it. Storing that information away for later, he turned away, putting his hands in his pockets and whistling absently as he headed back to the kitchen.

* * *

 

"Arsehole," Jeannie said under her breath as he walked off. Grabbing the floo powder she'd reached for a good five minutes ago, she stepped into the fire, coming out of her own fireplace on the other side. Brushing off the soot, she headed upstairs to change her clothes. Jeannie knew that if she didn't at least try to work out a bit, she'd be feeling it later and she didn't want to be any more sore than she already was from spending the night on the couch.

After working out just enough to get the kinks out, she went for a shower. Standing under the hot spray, she ran her hands down her body, picturing the way Sirius responded to her the day before. Reality was far better than fantasy, she decided, as her mind replayed every moan, every twitch... she wondered briefly if she should have let him carry on before she left, but thought better of it. She really didn't want to get caught by Molly, of all people, fooling around with Sirius in the sitting room.

Her fingers ghosted over her breasts, tweaking her nipples, then she braced one hand against the shower wall as the other traveled south. It didn't take long. Jeannie's body had been primed since the day before and within a minute of teasing her swollen nub, she was struggling to stand as her legs wobbled and her muscles clenched around nothing. _It would have to do for now,_ she thought, cutting off the water and reaching for her towel.

Jeannie dressed and made herself lunch. Sitting down at her small table to eat, she was just preparing to take a bite of her sandwich when she heard a scratching at her window. She got up and opened the window, allowing a very regal-looking owl to enter. The bird swooped down and landed on her counter and offered her it's leg. She untied the envelope and thanked the bird, who hooted in reply and flew back out the window. It was very expensive-looking envelope with a family crest on it, but Jeannie didn't know enough about the pureblood families to be able to recognize it. She went back to her food and opened the envelope, pausing in mid-bite as she read the words on the parchment.

_Well_ , she thought, _this should be interesting..._

* * *

 

The Order meeting that evening was an interesting affair. Max had brought Nahual to meet everyone, and since the full moon had been the previous night, there were currently three werewolves sitting in the corner clearly trying not to fall asleep. Everyone was happy to have another werewolf on their side, even if he wasn't a wizard. Moody, Kinglsey and Tonks were taking turns guarding the prophecy and Mundungus was keeping his ear to the ground in the seedier areas of the wizarding world, listening in on whatever conversations people were stupid or arrogant enough to have in public. He hadn't overheard anything really important, but he still gave his report with the air of a man who was continually in the danger zone. Jeannie had to bite her tongue on numerous occasions during his oration.

Unusually, Snape and Minerva had been able to come as well. Since Umbridge had begun taking over the school, it was rare that two well-known Dumbledore defenders had been let out of her sight at the same time, but they were unwilling to look a gift horse in the mouth. Minerva was particulary sore about the fact that not only Harry, but the Weasley twins as well, had been banned for life from the Quidditch team for fighting with the Malfoy's son. Snape didn't have much news except that, from what Hagrid told them when he'd returned recently, it seemed that recruiting the giants was a bit of a lost cause. According to Snape, the giants had sided with Voldemort before and seemed to be perfectly willing to do so again.

"Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore, after the potions master finished speaking. "Now, does anyone else have news?"

"I do," Jeannie spoke up, pulling out the envelope she'd received earlier and passing it to Albus. "This came to me today. It's an invitation to the Malfoy's Christmas party."

There was silence in the room as this was processed. Even Snape looked surprised, though he quickly schooled his features.

"Absolutely not," said Sirius, breaking the silence. Dumbledore looked at him as though waiting for him to explain his position. "Albus, you can't really want her to do this, can you? Talk about sending her into the snake pit!"

"Does Lucius know about Jeannie being in the Order?" Dumbledore asked Severus.

"Not to my knowledge," Snape drawled. "Unless, of course, she has been careless somehow."

Jeannie rolled her eyes. She knew about Snape's spy work, and had a lot of respect for him and for what he was doing, but she thought it was a bit rich of him to assume that she would do anything to jeopardize the Order. It's not like she had any indication that anyone would be watching her movements anyway as she had no public connection to anyone here but Tonks - and that's just people who might remember them from school.

"It may be a bad idea for her _not_ to go," Dumbledore said, thinking.

"What on Earth does that mean?" Sirius asked, incredulously. "How could it be bad for her _not_ to go?"

"As you well know, Sirius, the Malfoy's view their Christmas party - _all_ of their parties, actually - as an excuse to rub elbows with the rich, powerful and famous. Jeannie going to this party presents certain dangers, surely, but _not_ going would be the equivalent of her publicly distancing herself from them and that could be taken badly."

"I'm not following you, Albus," Sirius said with a forced calm.

"Look at it this way, Sirius," Albus said. "If Jeannie goes to the Malfoy's Christmas party, it may maintain the status quo for her for a little longer. We are not officially at war and with the Ministry denying the truth and vilifying me and everyone associated with me, the longer Jeannie stays out of this - at least publicly - the better. If she does not go, it would almost certainly raise questions about where her loyalties lie and, to be frank, we don't need the publicity that would bring."

Sirius was quiet for a while. "I'm not okay with this," he said finally, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

"It might be a good idea to ask the person in question if _she_ is okay with this," Jeannie said to the room at large, earning a snort from Max, who could tell that her temper was starting to rise. She was not the type of girl to like having decisions made for her, especially when she was in the room.

"Of course, Jeannie," said Dumbledore. "My apologies. It is my opinion that it would be better for you to attend this party rather than sit it out. If that is agreeable to you, that is."

"It is my opinion that you should say you're going to go, then fake the flu," Sirius said in a testy tone. Jeannie narrowed her eyes at him in warning. If he still wanted to touch her after the meeting, he'd better behave himself and not act like a possessive jackass. She was a highly capable witch, after all.

Jeannie took a few minutes to think about it and came to the conclusion that Albus was right. If she didn't go, certain people would start wondering why, and since she still held some celebrity status (the invitation itself was proof of that), she still had to be careful what she did and didn't do. She would have to be on her guard at all times, as even Snape wasn't sure who would be there, but this needed to be done.

"Alright," she said. "I'll do it." Choosing to ignore Sirius' frustrated exhale, she listened to Dumbledore's instructions and made plans to meet with both him and Severus before the party to go over the various 'contingency plans'.

In all honesty, though, Jeannie was more worried about fitting in and not bringing any more attention to herself rather than having a solid escape plan, should the need arise. She didn't know anything about purebloods or their customs and, unlike most wizards in Britain, could not recognize one on sight. She'd never been raised in any kind of class system and when she'd transferred to Hogwarts and moved to England somewhat permanently, it hadn't been important to her or any of her friends. It was something Jeannie had simply not paid any attention to.

When they'd made all the preparations they could for the time being, the Order began to disperse. Nahual left through the front door because he had very little experience with magical travel. Max had finally gotten his flat connected to the floo network, so he left by fire. Remus went straight up to bed since, like the other two werewolves, he was still exhausted, and Minerva, Severus and Albus went straight back to the school as they're absence would surely be questioned soon, if it hadn't been already.

Jeannie said goodnight to Molly and Arthur as they headed back to the Burrow and when they'd gotten their hugs and gone, she turned around to find herself alone with Sirius. Apparently 'Dung had slipped out when she wasn't looking, which was perfectly fine with her. Sirius was still sitting in his chair at the head of the table, staring a hole in it. Jeannie leaned on the table and propped herself up on her elbows, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm not okay with this," he said again, looking up at her. There was genuine worry in his face, and she felt her annoyance with him melt away.

She smiled slightly. "I know. But you're going to help me, aren't you?"

"Help how?" he asked, looking confused.

"Help me learn about purebloods, of course. I don't know anything about your - _their_ \- kind," she corrected herself, knowing Sirius didn't like being compared to or associated with his relatives.

"I don't understand. It's just a Christmas party, it's not like you're trying to infiltrate their ranks or something."

"Maybe not, but I still need to know who and what I'm dealing with and who better to teach me than you? You know all those people and I need to be able to recognize them, don't you think?" she asked.

Sirius thought for a minute. "Okay. I'll tell you what I know - what I can remember."

"Thank you," she said, moving from her place on the table and settling herself on his lap. He looked surprised. "You haven't forgotten that I made you a promise earlier, have you?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"No, I haven't forgotten," he replied, his hands finding her waist. "I just didn't think you'd be interested after the way the meeting ended."

"Oh, I think it's just what I need. Stress relief," she said, speaking close to his ear, her breath hot on his neck. She felt him growl deep in his chest and his hands tightened on her waist.

"Come on," he said, standing them both up and grabbing her hand. "Let's go relieve some of that stress."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Cliffhanger... Don't worry, I won't cheat you out of Sirius returning the favor. Hehe.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	21. Please May I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This chapter has lots of smut in it, but I'm not going to apologize for that, because dark times are coming soon and there's not much love to be found. In the words of Janis Joplin, 'Get It While You Can'.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling. I also don't own Janis Joplin or her songs :)

Jeannie couldn't help but laugh as she was dragged out of the kitchen by Sirius but, instead of heading up the stairs as she expected, he pulled her down the hall and into the sitting room. Pulling out his wand, Sirius closed both doors and locked them, then cast a silencing charm on the room. He gently guided Jeannie over to the coffee table and put his hands on her shoulders, pushing slightly to make her sit down on the edge. Thanking the powers that be that she'd decided to wear a skirt, he knelt before her.

"I'm finding myself suddenly very fond of this room," he explained, since she was looking slightly confused at his choice of venue. "And I already know you have no objections..."

Jeannie smirked at him. Running a hand through his hair, she pulled him towards her, kissing him soundly. Sirius responded immediately, deepening the kiss and running his hands up her legs - starting at her feet and moving steadily over her knees and up to her hips, taking her skirt with him and parting her legs. She'd worn thigh-high socks underneath to keep her legs warm, and Sirius hooked his fingers under the elastic holding them up and pulled them down to her calves to expose more of her to him. Her skin felt like the finest silk and he wondered how he'd lived these many months without feeling her.

Breaking the kiss, he pulled back just a bit in order to look at her. Jeannie's lips were slightly swollen and her dark eyes were beginning to smolder. Sirius pulled at the hem of her sweater, and she got the hint, crossing her arms in front of her and ridding herself of her top. A whimper left Sirius' throat as her torso came into view. Jeannie's lips curled into a seductive smile as she reached around herself to unhook her bra. Letting the purple lace straps slide down her arms, she rid herself of that as well.

" _Fuck_ , baby," Sirius whined, bringing his hands up to cup her mounds. Her breasts were small and barely filled his hands, but he really couldn't care less about size at the moment. They were _in front_ of him and he was allowed to _play_ with them. He kneaded the soft flesh and flicked her nipples with his thumbs, eliciting pleased sounds from her. It wasn't enough, though, so he leaned in and took one in his mouth, suckling her like a man starved. He laved each small mound with his tongue and pulled on each nipple with his teeth, enjoying the way her fingernails scraped his scalp. She could have drawn blood for all he cared; he had a mouthful of tit to compensate.

When he'd gotten his fill (at least for now), he took a moment to trace the tattoo under her left breast. It was a red rose on a long stem, complete with thorns, that followed the curve of her breast. Wrapped around the stem was a ribbon that read _'Handle With Care'._ Something stirred within him, then, because it was the very first time he'd ever had any indication of insecurity from her. Jeannie was the rock, the stabilizing force. She was Gibraltar... but here was tangible proof that even she could feel unsure sometimes. Ofter enough, apparently, to have her body marked permanently with the evidence. _One day,_ he thought, he would handle with the care she deserved, but he truly didn't have the patience just then. His eyes flicked back to hers.

"I want to taste you," he whispered heatedly. "Please may I taste you?"

Jeannie nodded and lay back on the table to allow him access. Sirius pushed her skirt up around her hips and hooked his fingers under her purple lace knickers that matched her bra. He took a steadying breath and pulled them down. Jeannie closed her legs and lifted her hips to assist him. He drew the knickers off her slowly and slipped them into his pocket.

Sirius kissed both knees and eased her legs apart again, revealing his prize. His eyes flashed and his nostrils flared as her scent hit him. How long had it been since he'd smelled a woman's arousal? Too damn long. She was bare except for a thick tuft of brown curls at the top of her pussy. Sirius ran his hands over her thighs, parting her legs even more, and used his thumbs to massage her outer lips. So soft, pink, pretty... _perfect._

"You smell delicious," he told her, his eyes flicking up to hers as she propped herself up on her elbows to watch him. Ducking suddenly, he took a long swipe with his tongue. "Mmm," he moaned. "And you taste like heaven." He had another taste. "I had to take care of myself last night, you know?"

"Poor puppy," she said, her voice turning husky.

"Mmm-hmm," he agreed with a surprisingly convincing pout. "It was bloody awful."

Her breathy laughter turned into a moan as he went back to work. Leaving wet kisses along each thigh, he worked his way back to her heat and began stroking her with his tongue. Jeannie laid back completely and let him take over. He kissed and licked and nibbled the soft, sensitive flesh until the lips of her pussy were warm and wet and swollen, then went to work on her clit. Using his long-dormant (but never forgotten) skill, Sirius soon had her moving her hips against his face, seeking more of the delicious friction.

Breaking away from her briefly, he brought one hand down and slicked a finger, then eased it into her while resuming his previous task. She immediately tightened around the intruding digit and moaned _"More..."_ , so he gave her another finger. Pumping them in and out of her tight, hot snatch, he soon began to feel her tremble. He kept up the rhythm of his tongue on her clit and when he believed she was just about to break, he stopped, earning a frustrated groan from her.

"Just making sure I was doing it right," he said, cocking an innocent eyebrow at her when she raised her head to glare at him.

" _Ugh,_ fucker," she rasped, grabbing the back of his head and pushing his face back into her cunt.

Sirius chuckled, but took pity on her, getting back to the business at hand. He worked her up again, and when she got close this time, he let her fall into the abyss. Wrapping his free arm over her hips to prevent her bucking off the table, he sucked her clit into his mouth and flicked his tongue against it rapidly while he pounded her with his fingers. She came spectacularly, her thighs clamped down on his head as her inner muscles clamped down on his hand. He moaned against her as he pictured what it would feel like to have her clenching around his cock instead.

Her moans of ecstasy echoed off the walls of the room and were music to his ears, the sound ringing through him and making his hair stand on end. Finally, she came down from her high and he helped, licking her gently and easing his fingers out of her. She propped herself up on her elbows again, and Sirius thought that he'd never seen anything so erotic. Jeannie's face was flushed and her hair slightly mussed. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and her chest heaved with irregular breathing. Her skirt was still bunched up around her waist and her legs were still spread wantonly as she laid on his coffee table.

Sirius raised his fingers to his mouth to clean them of her juices, but she stopped him. Grabbing his wrist, she leaned forward and brought his hand to her mouth, closing her lips around one finger and sucking her own essence off it. Swirling her tongue around the digit, she kept her eyes on his, wanting to see the effect she had on him. Once that finger was clean, she moved onto the other, giving it the same treatment.

"Have you forgotten my other promise?" she asked him, when she'd finished with the second finger.

"Promise?" he rasped, his voice only barely recognizable as human.

Jeannie nodded slowly. "Yes, I seem to remember telling you that next time we found ourselves like this, I'd suck your brains out through that beautiful cock of yours."

Sirius's breathing hitched and his lips curled into a snarl as that picture floated into his head. Blinking his eyes rapidly, he tried to hold onto his sanity. "Are you sure?" he croaked, while his brain chanted _'please, please, please, please, please'..._

"Positive," she replied. "Stand up."

So he did. Jeannie sat up straight on the coffee table which, by a stroke of luck, brought her face to just the right height for this activity. She didn't reach for him, though.

"Undo your jeans," she said.

_Ahh,_ Sirius thought, _I know this game._ He smirked slightly as he obeyed. Sirius loved games, especially when they involved nudity. He could still remember the first time a girl had taken over and ordered him about, and how much pleasure they'd both gotten out of it. He wasn't above giving orders, either, and he could be quite creative when he wanted to be. Right now, though, he was perfectly happy to dance to her tune because he knew he'd be rewarded. When he'd gotten his zipper undone, he stopped, and waited for further instruction.

"Take it out," she said, licking her lips.

Oh, how Sirius loved a girl who wasn't afraid to be bold with him! He shoved his jeans down slightly and pulled out his cock. It was hot and hard and heavy in his hand as he gave it a few strokes, watching her eyes darken again as he played with himself. Jeannie placed her hands on her thighs and raised her face sightly, parting her lips and meeting his eyes, silently telling him to feed her his cock.

Sirius swallowed hard and stepped forward, gripping his shaft in one hand and reaching for the back of her head with the other. He gathered her hair in his fist, keeping it away from her face, and aimed his swollen flesh at her mouth. Her pink tongue darted out and flicked against the head, drawing a cry from his throat. The hand in her hair tightened as did the hand on his shaft. She did it again, licking at the purple head like a kitten lapping milk from a saucer. He needed more. Stepping even closer to her, he put a gentle pressure on the back of her head, begging for her to take him in her mouth. Jeannie looked up at him through her fringe and winked, then opened wide and swallowed him whole.

A strangled groan left his lips as Jeannie's nose nestled into the coarse, black hairs at the base of his cock. His head dropped back and the hand he'd been gripping his shaft with joined the other one in her hair. Sirius was very well-formed, but he wasn't nearly as big as Remus, so Jeannie had no trouble taking him into her throat. She pulled back to take a breath, then did it again, hollowing her cheeks and creating a vacuum that threatened to bring him to his knees. Sirius was determined, though, to not end up on the floor this time, so he locked his knees and took deep breaths, calming himself slightly.

Jeannie bobbed up and down a few times, then withdrew, trailing feather-soft kisses down his shaft. She nuzzled his balls almost lovingly, kissing them and bathing them with her tongue, then sucking each into her mouth and letting them go with a 'pop'. Jeannie knew that the secret to a good blow-job was _enthusiasm,_ so she worked him over as though there was literally nothing else in the world she'd rather be doing. When she was finished with his balls, she went back to his cock, kissing and licking her way back to the head and swallowing him again repeatedly. Sirius unconsciously began guiding her head, and it was a good thing Jeannie was an athlete, because she knew a thing or two about breath control.

"Oh, fucking Merlin, baby," Sirius breathed, his head thrown back and his chest heaving. Grunts and growls began leaving him as Jeannie picked up the pace. Sirius couldn't help himself; he starting fucking her mouth. His hands gripped her head, keeping her in position, as his hips made shallow thrusts down her throat. He started mumbling again, like the day before, and Jeannie knew he was getting close.

"Oh, fuck - _close,_ " he said, looking down at her. Her only response was an arched eyebrow. _"Really?!"_ he whined, not entirely sure he could have stopped even if she'd wanted him to. He thrust a few more times, then pulled her off him just long enough for her to take a deep breath and surged back in. Jeannie knew this was it, so she took him in his entirety and contracted her throat around him, swallowing hard and humming.

_"Uuunnnggghhh,"_ was the sound Sirius made as he came in her mouth. His body seized up as his cock pulsed once, twice, three times, shooting his load straight down her throat. He relaxed the hold on her head so she could pull herself off him at her pace. Jeannie pulled back slowly, cleaning him as she did so. When she finally let go of his cock, Sirius stumbled backwards to his chair and fell into it.

"Shit, you're good at that," Sirius said, once he'd regained his breath. Jeannie grinned at him, sitting there in his favorite chair, cock still out and completely disheveled. She wasn't much better, sitting half-naked on his coffee table - no shirt, skirt still bunched up in her lap and her hair all over the place thanks to Sirius' grip.

"You think we should head up to bed?" she asked.

Sirius grimaced. After that orgasm, the thought of going up to his childhood bedroom and sleeping in his childhood bed was very unappealing. He had an idea. Grabbing his wand, he pointed it at the sofa Jeannie had slept on the night before, transfiguring it into an enormous four-poster bed, complete with a canopy and curtains around it. Happy with the bed, he turned his wand on Jeannie, transforming her skirt into the black lace teddy he'd found in her things when he'd spent the afternoon sorting through her boxes with her. She kicked off her shoes and pulled her socks back up so her legs wouldn't get cold while Sirius transformed his jeans into soft sleep pants.

"This is turning into your favorite room, isn't it?" she asked, pulling the covers back and climbing into the bed.

"Yes, think so," he answered, sliding in next to her and kissing her soundly. Sirius could taste traces of himself on her tongue, but he didn't mind. Breaking the kiss, he snapped his fingers, extinguishing the lights. He'd forgotten about the fireplace, though, and he found himself staring at the woman in bed beside him as he saw how beautiful she was in the firelight. The shadows played across her face as she sunk into the pillows, and Sirius followed, laying on his side so he could continue staring. He pulled her close and wrapped an arm across her waist as sleep began to take him.

_Yes,_ he thought, _this is definitely my favorite room._

* * *

 

"Holy shit!" was the shout that - rather rudely - woke Sirius and Jeannie the next morning, followed by the sound of quiet chuckles. Sirius opened his eyes slowly to find his younger cousin and his best friend staring at him and laughing about something. What, he had no idea, but he quickly formed an idea as the events of the previous night came back to him. Looking down at his chest, he saw a mass of long, dark hair and an arm slung across it. Plastering a shit-eating grin on his face, he looked back up at his cousin.

"Whassa matter, Tonks?" he asked, his voice still sleepy. "This too much for your innocent eyes?"

Tonks crossed her arms over her chest and smirked down at him. "Nothing I haven't seen before, cousin. In fact, I've been in your position once or twice."

"Hmm? What's that mean?" Sirius asked, his brain not catching up to Tonks' words.

"Yeah, what does that mean?" Remus echoed, making Sirius feel slightly better about not understanding.

"Oh, nothing," Tonks replied airily. "But, you know, girls get curious sometimes... ," she let the sentence hang.

"Moony, what's she talking about?"

"She's saying that we've slept together," came the groggy voice of the other occupant of the bed. Jeannie sat up and stretched, then turned back to Sirius. "Really, Sirius, how thick are you?"

Sirius leaned up, propping himself up on an elbow. "Hang on... are you telling me that you and my cousin have been _intimate_?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes," said Jeannie and Tonks.

"Really?" asked Remus and Sirius.

"What, you think the 'Marauders' were the only students to have adventures?" said Tonks sarcastically.

"This happened when you were students?" Sirius asked.

"Yes," said Jeannie. "Want to know something else?" The two men nodded. "Sometimes we invited Charlie."

_"What?!"_

* * *

 

Since there was clearly no more peace to be had, Jeannie left the warm bed she shared with Sirius and, like the day before, headed back to her place for a work-out and a shower. She went back to Grimmauld after that, however, because she needed to start her 'pureblood lessons' with Sirius. Jeannie had roughly two weeks before the Malfoy's Christmas party and she needed to be prepared. From what she had heard from various members of the magical community, the Malfoy's were a very old, very rich family with all sorts of ties to all sorts of influential people. From what other Order members had told her, they were not people to cross.

According to Sirius and Remus, Lucius Malfoy had been a major supporter or Voldemort during the first war, and they had reason to believe his allegiance hadn't changed. Especially since Harry clearly remembers him being in the graveyard with the other Death Eaters during the Dark Lord's 'rebirth'. Jeannie had a feeling she would need all the help she could get since she'd never had to mingle with that area of society before. She needed to learn how to walk, how to talk and, perhaps most importantly, how to recognize certain people by sight and name.

Sirius' family tapestry would come in very handy for that. Not only were the names of the 'good' purebloods labeled clearly on the wallpaper, but relatives, siblings, marriages and pictures were there as well. She spent several hours that day committing it all to memory and when she was done, she needed a headache potion. It was ridiculous. The bloodlines criss-crossed so many times that she was surprised they weren't all insane from the inbreeding. Sirius' own parents were cousins but, then again, with lines like these, it was impossible to marry anyone you weren't somehow related to.

Jeannie kept this up for days, memorizing names and places and dates and pictures and objects and listening to Sirius explain how certain people wore certain clothes and how certain people walked a certain way and look out for this person's cane because it's not really a cane and... on and on and on and she started seriously considering Sirius' proposal - 'tell everyone you're going, then fake the flu'. It would be infinitely easier than dealing with all this... well, bullshit, really.

Finally, a few days before the kids were scheduled to come back for Christmas, Jeannie'd simply had enough. She went over to Grimmauld, as usual, worked on her potions and had a very nice snog session with Sirius, but she absolutely refused to deal with anything pureblood (except for the one with long black hair and tattoos). She was so exhausted, in fact, that Sirius suggested she go home and sleep it off. There was no Order meeting that night and if she was at her place, there was less chance of random people bursting in at all hours. Grimmauld Place worked great for Headquarters, but getting a full night's rest there was sometimes difficult.

So Jeannie took his advice. She gave him one last kiss, floo'd back to her place and drew herself a bath, despite it only being mid-afternoon. She hadn't done a proper bath in ages, so she got out the candles and salts and even the soft music and laid there for what felt like forever, occasionally using her wand to heat the water back up. By the time she got out, Jeannie was feeling more rested than she had in weeks, but she still needed sleep. She made herself a small dinner and crawled into bed, falling asleep almost instantly and not stirring until a large patronus in the form of a dog woke her suddenly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So they fooled around a bit in school... Muggles call it 'the college experience' ;) Extra points for those of you who remember what happened just before Christmas in OotP!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	22. Attacked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Dark times are ahead... This chapter is a little light on dialogue and fairly narrative, but I thought it was important.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

_'Come to headquarters immediately. Arthur's been injured. He's at St. Mungo's."_

This was the message that broke into Jeannie's warm slumber. The large silver dog disappeared into whisps, but Sirius' voice rang in her head as if he'd shouted it into her ear. Leaping out of bed, she threw on a pair of jeans, grabbed her shoes and her wand and sprinted down the stairs to her fireplace. Tossing a handful of glittery powder into the fire, she shouted 'Number 12 Grimmauld Place!' and leapt in.

Jeannie stumbled out of Sirius' kitchen fire to see him engaged in a shouting match with the twins. It sounded as though they wanted to barge straight into St. Mungo's and Sirius was doing his best to keep them where they were. Remus filled her in quickly on the details they had and she understood the twins frustration. When she heard one of them make a crack about Sirius not putting his neck on the line, though, she decided to step in.

"Alright, that's enough!" she shouted above the din, every head in the room turning to look at her.

"We're going to see our father!" one twin shouted back decisively, turning to move toward the fireplace.

"Really? How are you going to do that?" she countered.

"Any way we can!" shouted the other.

"Oh, no you're not," Jeannie said, lowering her voice. Eyes flashed and jaws set as identical faces glared at her. "Your father will not thank you for getting in the way." The boys opened their mouths, but she continued. "And that's all you'd accomplish," she said firmly.

Taking a breath and shaking her head to rid it of the last vestiges of sleep and floo disorientation, she moved towards the kids. "Believe me," she said, looking one twin in the eye, "I understand. _I do_. But there is no way to get you into St. Mungo's without doing serious damage to everything we're doing. I'm sorry."

"Fred and I are going," said George, his voice almost dangerous.

"No, George you're not," Jeannie growled. The boys faltered slightly, never having heard that tone of voice from her, but before they could argue more, a small scroll of parchment suddenly appeared on the kitchen table. Sirius reached for it and unrolled it. Scanning it quickly, he handed it to the twins. Fred held it while he and his brother read it.

"Right, we're staying," said George, tossing the note back onto the table and dropping into the nearest chair.

Remus picked it up. It was from Molly, telling them to stay put and she would contact them when she knew something. The medi-wizards were hard at work on Arthur and she didn't want the kids there. She would come as soon as she could.

Jeannie leaned against the table as the adrenaling left her body and finally got around to putting her shoes on. She'd ignored the freezing cold stone floor of Grimmauld's kitchen so far, and she was regretting it. It was common knowledge that she was one of those people whose feet were always cold, and right now, her toes felt like icicles. Sighing at the warmth of her slippers, she looked up when she heard a sniffle.

Ginny had stood, unnoticed, on the other side of Sirius during his argument with the twins, and it seemed that she simply wasn't able to hold it together anymore. Wrapping her arms around herself, Ginny pulled her robe tighter and let her head fall to her chest as her shoulders shook. Sirius turned to her and pulled her into his arms, holding her gently as she cried quietly into his shirt.

Ducking his head, he spoke softly to her, his words unheard by the other occupants of the room. Ginny shook her head slightly and Sirius looked up, scanning the room. Spotting an empty chair, he gently steered her over to it, sitting down and pulling her onto his lap. She looked slightly uncomfortable at first, as though she wasn't quite sure whether she wanted to sit or pace, but soon she relaxed against his chest and buried herself into the safety of his arms.

This was everyone else's cue to sit down as well. There would be no going to the hospital tonight, so there was nothing to do but wait. Remus moved to the stove to start tea and coffee, and silence fell over them except for Order members arriving. Max got there next, followed by Mad-Eye and Tonks. Kingsley's head appeared in the fire, and Remus filled him in, then went back to the stove. Everyone got as comfortable as possible and settled themselves in for a long night.

* * *

 

It was indeed a long night. Tonks conjured blankets for everyone so they could wrap up and stay warm in the drafty kitchen. Pot after pot of coffee was made and drank, the pantry was raided of every biscuit, muffin and cookie in sight and the only time anyone moved was to go to the bathroom or get another cup of caffeine. Ginny fell asleep twice on top of Sirius, only to wake up in a panic five minutes later, thinking she'd missed something important. Both times Sirius calmed her down gently, swearing to her that if something had happened he would have woken her. This set off more sniffles from her and tissues were becoming precious commodities as well.

Finally, a little after 5 am, the floo came alive and Molly stepped through, looking as though she'd aged ten years in the past few hours. Several of the room's occupants moved as if to get up, but thought better of it, and everyone stayed silent and still as they waited for her to brush the soot off her cloak. Her hair was disheveled and she'd clearly been crying, judging by her blotchy face and blood-shot eyes. She looked up tiredly and took a deep breath.

"He'll live," she said simply.

There were shouts of joy and sighs of relief from around the table and Ginny flew off of Sirius' lap and into her mother's arms. Molly held her daughter tightly, then moved on to hug everyone else as well. Sirius got up and started breakfast, announcing that everyone was to eat, then go to bed for a while and try to get some sleep. Molly tried to protest this, but Sirius was firm, telling her that nobody would be of any use to anybody if they were falling over due to exhaustion. It was proof of just how drained the older woman was that she didn't even have it in her to argue further.

Jeannie got up to help Sirius with the cooking and was a bit surprised at how decent he was in the kitchen. He admitted to her that a full English breakfast was pretty much the limit of his culinary ability, but it was edible, and he was capable of feeding himself if there was no pretty witch around willing to make lasagna. This made her laugh as she remembered their 'dinner date' of a few months before. _Why haven't we done that since?, _she thought.__

The mood was considerably lighter as they ate and the twins even managed to crack a few jokes. Ginny ate a small amount, then pulled her knees up to her chest and waited patiently in her own chair until Sirius finished his. When he pushed his plate away, she looked at him, silently asking for something. He caught her gaze and cocked his head, not understanding yet. She flicked her eyes down to his lap and back to his face, blushing slightly, and then he understood. Moving his chair away from the table just enough for her to slip in, he held his hand out to her, which she immediately took, resuming her place on his lap.

This brought a curious look from Molly; she'd never known her daughter and Sirius to be particularly close, but it had been an emtionally draining night for everyone involved and she found herself grateful to Sirius as she saw how relaxed Ginny seemed with him. He was right, too, about everyone needing to go to bed after breakfast. Once their plates were empty, eyes began to droop and yawns became frequent. One by one they made their way to their bedrooms.

All except Ginny, that is, who had fallen fast asleep against Sirius' chest once again. He nudged her slightly to wake her so she could go up to bed, but her only response was a grunt as she fisted a hand in his shirt. He relented and hooked his free arm under her knees, picking her up. Carrying her upstairs, he followed Hermione into the girls' room and asked her which bed was Ginny's. She led him to the one closest to the door and pulled the blankets back, so he laid the sleeping girl down gently and carefully removed her hand from his shirt. Sirius pulled her covers over her and left the room, sending Hermione a small smile as he closed their door.

Turning away from the girls' room, Sirius was met by the twins, their eyes downcast and sheepish looks on their faces.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," said one twin, offering his hand. "Fred and I shouldn't have spoken to you that way earlier."

"No harm done, George," Sirius replied, shaking the boy's hand.

"I'm sorry, too," said Fred. "We know you don't really want to be locked up here and it was unfair of us yell at you like that."

"I appreciate that, Fred," he said, shaking Fred's hand as well. "Let's forget about it, shall we?"

The boys nodded and headed up to their room. Sirius felt a wave of pride as they walked off. The twins had been very small when he was sent to prison and it made him feel good to get to witness them turning into men before his eyes. What they just did took balls, and he was glad to see it. It showed that beneath their pranks and jokes and general fooling about, they did have a serious nature to them, and that was something he felt they were going to need very soon.

It was early afternoon before anyone stirred and, when they did, they still looked exhausted. Predictably, Molly was the first one up and about, bustling about in the kitchen and cleaning up from breakfast. Sirius opened his mouth to argue this, but Jeannie silenced him with a look. She knew that Molly would feel better if she was doing something productive, and nothing was more productive for her than taking care of her family. Molly puttered and fussed and made lunch, making sure everyone ate as much as they could. Even Remus was included, with Molly standing over him, making sure he ate a third brownie.

Poor Harry looked like shit, but when Sirius tried to talk to him, Harry said he was fine. It was clear that the boy was keeping a lot of things inside, but if he wasn't ready to talk, then he wasn't ready to talk. He had enough on his plate without Sirius pressuring him, so Sirius let him be, trusting that Harry would come to him in his own time. There would be plenty of time in Harry's life for everyone else to make demands of him, but Sirius was determined not to be one of those people. Molly, on the other hand, thought he was a hero, and was feeding him like one. Luckily, the boy had known Molly long enough to let her do her thing and thank her for it.

Later that afternoon, Molly went back to St. Mungo's to visit Arthur. The kids protested at not being allowed to accompany her, but she was firm; she didn't know what state he was in and until she did, the children were not going. Jeannie agreed with her; they knew Arthur was going to live, they did not need to see him bloody and bruised. Sirius once again came to the rescue. He had decided that Grimmauld was to be decorated for Christmas and recruited the kids to help. Remus was sent out to find a tree, ribbons and garlands were hung and mistletoe was suspended from every available door frame.

When Remus got back with the tree, they had even more fun. Baubles and balls and candycanes were hung on the branches and Remus used a neat bit of charmwork to conjure lights that not only blinked, but floated around the tree. For the angel on top, Sirius had frozen a rogue doxy that had somehow escaped Molly's purge, stuck a halo on it's head and tied him to the very top of the tree. The girls thought that was a bit ghoulish of him and Hermione had several things to say on the subject, but Sirius ignored them all, choosing instead to chase his cousin around the house with a bunch of mistletoe, trying to steal a kiss. He and Jeannie weren't commom knowledge yet, and since they hadn't even had that conversation, he thought it safer to hound Tonks for now (at least in public; he had every intention of snogging Jeannie under the mistletoe at the first opportunity).

The holidays seemed to bring out a side of Sirius that was completely foreign and unexpected to everyone but Remus. Several times during the decorating, he had randomly broken into song - usually not the original lyrics, but the original tune mixed with slightly inappropriate verses of his own invention. He could be heard singing _"It's Starting To Look A Lot Like Kiss-mass"_ while hanging up the mistletoe and making rude noises at his cousin, and _"Rudolf The Red-Arsed Centaur"_ drifted down the hall as he hung the wreath on the front door. Unfortunately, that one woke up his mother in the front hall, and he and Remus spent a good ten minutes wrestling her curtains closed as she berated Sirius for his very existence.

Now, normally, that would have put him in a rather foul mood, but that day it simply bounced off him. Once the curtains were shut tight, he walked quietly down the hall and, when he was sure he was out of range, resumed his caroling. A medley of apparent favorites followed, including the ever-popular (according to him) _"God Rest Ye Merry Hippogryffs" _.__ Hermione and Ginny liked that one, particularly after Remus told them that Sirius sang it at the top of his voice in the middle of the Great Hall on a dare from James one year.

By the time Molly returned, Sirius had finally lost his voice and was currently hard at work teaching the twins the proper way to spike the eggnog. Not too much too soon, he cautioned, because then people like their mother and McGonagall would notice. It needed to be fairly subtle at first, at least until everyone was slightly inebriated, and then they could go a little wild. Steadfastly ignoring Remus' unamused expression and Hermione's disapproving 'tut's, the three of them came up with an acceptable cocktail. At the sound of their Mother's voice in the kitchen signalling her return, the twins stuffed their notes into their pockets and assumed well-practiced innocent faces.

It was all for naught, though, as Molly was too busy fighting back tears at how beautiful the house looked to notice that her identical sons looked guilty as hell. Nobody had gotten around to decorating the kitchen yet, so when she'd stepped out of the kitchen fireplace, there was nothing to indicate any changes. As she began walking down the hall, however, she saw Santa hats on the severed house-elf heads and garlands hanging from anywhere there was a hang-able spot. And when she got to the sitting room where they'd set up the tree, she gasped audibly and put her hand over her heart.

"Do you like it?" asked Sirius, who was standing to her right.

Molly looked up at the tattooed escaped convict who was keeping her family together while her husband was in the hospital and letting everyone stay at his house so they'd be safer and even wearing a Santa hat of his own... She didn't answer him, she simply flung her arms around his neck and brought him down to her level for a bone-crushing hug. Sirius huffed in surprised, but hugged her back, taking that as his answer.

"I'm flattered, Molls," he said when she finally pulled away, "but it's a bit inappropriate in front of the children, don't you think? I mean, with your husband in the hospital and all- "

"Oohhh," she said, smacking him in the chest, but still blushing slightly as he grinned and the kids laughed.

"Hi, mom!" Tonks and Jeannie chorused, coming up on either side of her and kissing both cheeks.

"Hello, girls," Molly said fondly, cupping the girls' faces and smiling at them.

"How's Arthur?" Remus asked.

"Oh, he's getting there," she said, moving to one of the sofas and taking a seat. "Would you believe he's been trying to convince one of his healers to use Muggle methods to close his wounds? Hermione, dear, what are those called?"

"Stitches?" the bushy-haired girl suggested.

Molly nodded. "That sounds right. I mean, really - Muggle medicine against a basilisk bite?!" She shook her head, clearly exasperated. "On the other hand, he's never had the opportunity to try Muggle medicine, so I suppose he wouldn't be Arthur if he didn't take this chance. I love him to death, I do, but- " she left the statement hanging and sighed.

"Have a drink, Molly," said Sirius, offering her some of the eggnog he and the twins had worked on.

"Mmm, this is quite good, Sirius, thank you," she said, taking a sip. The twins watched on, wide-eyed and Sirius sent them a covert wink. Jeannie could almost see the cogs turning in their heads as they watched their mother seemingly unknowingly imbibe. Sirius turned around and grinned at Remus, clearly pleased with himself at not having lost his touch. Remus' lips thinned, but he didn't say anything as his friend poured himself into his chair.

Molly looked exhausted still, so Sirius did the same thing he'd done when he and Jeannie and Tonks and Remus had dined on Chinese a couple of months prior; he tossed Jeannie his money bag and asked her to run out and get them food. Molly argued, saying that she was perfectly capable of making supper, but Sirius was having none of it. Ignoring her, he told Jeannie that pizza sounded good to him and that there used to be a great pizza joint about three blocks west of the Leaky Cauldron. Jeannie didn't know the place, but Tonks did, so the girls decided to go together and get food for everyone. Borrowing Remus' and Sirius' cloaks (since they hadn't brought theirs in the rush to get to headquarters in the middle of the night), they wrapped themselves up and headed out into the night.

Pie's House turned out to be a hole-in-the-wall dive, but it smelled fantastic and since (as everyone knows) you can't judge a pizza joint by the look but by the smell, she followed Tonks in. Tonks ordered six pizzas and she and Jeannie watched them come in and out of a traditional brick oven. When all six were done, the girls headed over to the Leaky Cauldron to pick up a case of Butterbeer, then back to Grimmauld and called everybody in to the sitting room to eat. Sirius summoned plates from the kitchen and then it was a free-for-all. Jeannie sat on the arm of Sirius' chair while she ate, silently showing Molly how close she and Sirius had become, and even shared his bottle of Butterbeer. The older womand noticed, of course, but chose not to say anything - merely watching the display.

Molly absolutely insisted on clearing away the plates, and this time Sirius let her because he knew she'd sleep better if she felt as though she'd gotten something accomplished. Gradually, the rowdiness led to yawning, and the yawning to nodding off. Once the kids had said their goodnights, Sirius transfigured the two sofas in the sitting room into beds for Jeannie and Max after a brief, but silent, conversation with Jeannie. There had been enough to deal with today and she just wanted to be there on hand just in case. She and Sirius could steal some alone time later, but she knew Molly would probably have something to say on the subject of her and Sirius and, right now, she didn't have the energy for it. After saying goodnight to Max, Jeannie snapped her fingers to kill the lights and let sleep take her. It had been a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This chapter fought me from the beginning. I've finally managed to mold it into something relatively like what's in my head, but I may go back and edit it if inspiration strikes. I'm still proud of it, however!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	23. A Very Malfoy Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: This chapter and the next are heavy ones, but very important. I also want to take the opportunity to thank all of you wonderful reviewers for (for the most part) being so accepting of the little changes here and there to the original story and/or my completely original situations. You guys have been so good to me and so encouraging - it makes me want to write more :)
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling

Sirius paced restlessly in the sitting room. Jeannie was upstairs getting ready for the Malfoy's Christmas Party and he was _very_ nervous about this. The Malfoys were shameless in their support for Voldemort and Sirius wondered, again, at the wisdom of Jeannie taking this assignment. In his opinion, there were a million ways that this could go wrong and really no way that it could go right. There was also no way to send anyone with Jeannie to look after her. Sirius didn't count Snape - once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater in his book and no amount of assurances that he'd turned good would do it for him.

He sighed again and looked up at the ceiling. He'd already tried getting Jeannie to change her mind and failed, so he'd settled for making her as prepared as possible. If there was one thing Sirius knew about, it was pureblood families. The ways, rites and traditions had been pounded into him from birth and he had spent an entire day writing out things that she should keep an eye out for, including renegade cousins like Bellatrix. She had looked at him skeptically, but even Snape didn't know who might be hiding in the sprawling, ancient Malfoy Manor. It was more of a castle, really, and Sirius remembered it well. He had been dragged there countless times as a child, and spent most of his time looking for hidden passages that led _out_. He had even drawn out a very detailed map for her - just in case she needed it.

Sirius looked at the clock. Seven-thirty. Jeannie needed to be leaving soon. He stopped his pacing and went to go get her. He climbed the staircase to the second landing, and knocked on the girls' door. Jeannie had appropriated the room for the purposes of getting ready for this party. He knocked on the door and heard her say "Come in". He opened the door and nearly fell over. Jeannie was wearing a floor-length blood-red gown. It had long sleeves and a high collar, but no back and had a split that came almost to her hip. The thin material clung to her body in all the right areas and Sirius felt his mouth go dry. She was fastening her earrings in front of the mirror and had her back to him.

Jeannie heard the door open, but nobody said anything, so she turned around to find Sirius staring at her with raw lust in his eyes. She watched as his eyes traveled from her red high heels, up her leg that was peeking out of the split, past her hips to her chest and finally settled on her face. His eyes were the color of steel as they always were when she turned him on and Jeannie smirked knowingly at him. His eyes narrowed and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"I take it you like the dress," she said, her voice taking on a sultry tone.

"Mmm. You know where it would look even better, though?" he asked, entering the room and walking towards her.

"Where's that?"

"In pieces on my floor," he said, reaching her and pinning her against the dresser she stood in front of. He ducked his head and ran his nose along her neck, inhaling deeply and growling softly as she moved her head to give him better access. She'd pinned up her hair, which gave him plenty of neck to nuzzle.

"Don't wrinkle my dress, Sirius," she said. He took one last sniff and backed away a bit, not wanting to get caught doing something inappropriate in the girls' bedroom. Jeannie looked up at him and smiled. She had a feeling tonight was going to be harder for him than for her. "Is it time?" she asked. Sirius nodded. She shoved her wand into the arm holster that laid beneath her sleeve and they walked downstairs together.

Jeannie entered the sitting room to wolf-whistles and catcalls. Sirius grabbed her hand and twirled her around to the enjoyment of every male in the room. She walked over to Remus who was holding her cloak and allowed him to drape it over her shoulders. Doing up the clasp, she reached up to give him a hug. He whispered encouragement in her ear and she kissed his cheek, then moved back to Sirius who was standing in the doorway waiting for her. As she approached him he grinned wickedly and looked up. Following his gaze, Jeannie saw that someone (probably Sirius) had hung mistletoe in the doorway. She looked back at Sirius to find him staring at her challengingly.

_Oh, yeah?,_ she thought, moving closer. Molly had already left to spend the night with Arthur in St. Mungo's, so she didn't have to worry about getting lectured about snogging Sirius. When she was close enough, she wrapped an arm around his neck and brought him in for a toe-curling kiss. Forcing her tongue into his mouth, she felt his surprise, then his happy acceptance. She snogged him thoroughly and was silently grateful for charmed lipstick as she listened to a whole new round of whistles and calls and felt Sirius' arms tighten around her. They pulled apart when Jeannie heard the clock chime. Seven forty-five. Time to go. Sirius hooked a finger under her chin and gave her one more quick kiss.

"Be careful," he said, his voice urgent and his face worried. "I _don't_ like this."

"I know. I don't like it much, either. Wait up for me?" she asked and he nodded. "Right, everybody, see you later," she said, turning on the spot and disapparating.

Sirius kicked the doorframe in frustration and looked at Remus. "I don't like this, Moony," he said, for the millionth time.

"I know, Padfoot," the werewolf sighed, "but Jeannie is a highly capable witch and if something goes wrong, Snape will be there- "

"Fuck Snape!"

Remus rolled his eyes and sighed again. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

 

Jeannie apparated just outside the Malfoy's gate and held her invitation up to the gargoyle guard. He inclined his head, and the gate opened for her. Taking a deep breath, she approached the manor. Sirius was right, it was more like a castle complete with turrets and even a moat. As she crossed the drawbridge, she idly wondered what sort of Dark creature might be swimming in the murky water. Finally, she made it to the door, and again held out her invitation for inspection. This time it was a pitiful looking house-elf who checked it and did not make eye contact with her. She figured he probably wasn't allowed to, being a servant and all. Unlike Sirius, Jeannie had no experience dealing with old pureblood families and was more nervous than she wanted to admit. He was already worried enough, though, and she hadn't wanted to give him any more reason to try and stop her.

The house-elf finished his perusal of her invitation and opened the door to let her in. She walked past him without acknowledging him, because that's what a pureblood would do, and she was at least trying to blend in. As she walked in, she was grateful for Sirius' crash course in the family tree because she was immediately able to recognize almost everyone present. It was like a who's who of upper-class wizarding society, with several wannabe's thrown in for good measure. The house-elf tugged at her cloak "May Fotzy take this for you miss?" he asked very quietly, keeping his eyes down. Jeannie bit back the 'thank you' that almost escaped, and simply shrugged out of the garment, letting the elf take it. It would not do to be caught thanking the help in company like this.

She looked around, attempting to get her bearings and saw Narcissa Malfoy coming towards her. The older woman looked regal in a long, expensive gown of green and silver, of course. Must show the Slytherin House pride at all available opportunities. Her long, blonde hair was pinned back out of her face, but still allowed to fall around her shoulders and Jeannie could tell by her facial features that she had been a Black before she married. She had the aristocratic nose and cheekbones of the Black family, but while Sirius and Andromeda's faces held a certain warmth, Narcissa's opted for cold indifference. They also had the same grey eyes.

"Miss Jones," said Narcissa, giving a small smile. "Welcome to our home. I'm glad you could attend."

"Lady Malfoy," Jeannie greeted correctly, mirroring her haughty attitude. "I had been told it was something I shouldn't miss."

"Indeed?" Narcissa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who told you that, may I ask?"

Jeannie smiled cryptically. "I have friends," she said, trying to make it sound as though she was used to rubbing elbows with the Malfoy's _kind_.

Narcissa smiled approvingly. "Won't you join us?" she asked. "I'd like to introduce you to my husband and my son."

Jeannie inclined her head and allowed herself to be lead over to a group of very snooty-looking men, all of whom gave Jeannie a good leer as she and Narcissa approached. She recognized an Avery, a Nott, and a Goyle before turning her attention to the man she knew was Lucius Malfoy. She locked eyes with him and suppressed a shiver. His eyes were ice blue and may as well have belonged to a corpse for all the warmth they held. He took his time looking her over and Jeannie was careful to not let her disgust show. She'd had men stare at her for years, probably since before it was appropriate, but there was something dark about Lucius' gaze.

"Miss Jones," said Narcissa, "may I present my husband, Lucius. Lucius, this is Jeannie Jones."

Jeannie held out her hand, but instead of shaking it, Lucius brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "A pleasure," he purred.

"The pleasure is mine, Lord Malfoy," she answered. His hands and lips had been as cold as his eyes and she suddenly realized why Sirius spent so much time trying to sneak out of here as a child.

"Please, call me Lucius," he replied, finally releasing her hand. "Have you met our son, Draco?"

"No," Narcissa answered for her. "I thought he would be with you."

"He was, but he got- _called away,_ " said Lucius, sharing a look with his wife. Jeannie remained impassive, as if she could not possibly know what that meant. "I'm sure he'll be back soon- ah, here he is now."

Jeannie turned to see the boy that Harry had told her about. Draco looked like the ideal mix of Malfoy and Black blood. He had Narcissa's features with Lucius' haughty air and, even at fifteen, stood slightly taller than Jeannie. She noticed, however, that the boy had not yet learned how to mask his features nearly as well as his father and, right now, looked scared shitless. Jeannie wondered just who had called him away. As he approached, he quickly schooled his features. Narcissa's face immediately softened and Jeannie took note of that. Perhaps she wasn't as cold as she wanted everyone to believe.

"Mother, Father," Draco greeted.

"Draco, dear, I'd like you to meet Jeannie Jones," Narcissa said.

Draco looked at Jeannie and bowed slightly. "Pleasure," he said, then looked up to see his father eyeing him expectantly. "Would you like to dance, Miss Jones?" he asked, looking as though he desperately wanted her to say no.

Jeannie smiled. "I'd love to, Draco," she said, watching his eyes widen slightly. Draco hesitated, then held out his arm. Jeannie took it, and he lead them to the dance-floor. Lucius may have been training him in the ways of Death Eaters, but Draco clearly knew nothing about girls, and Jeannie almost laughed as he tried to decide where to put his hands. He had seen the back of her dress (or lack of) and was not sure he was allowed to touch her bare skin.

"Calm down, Draco," she said, watching his face flush. "Put your hands where they would normally go, it's alright."

"Sorry," he mumbled awkwardly, carefully laying his hand on her back and leading her in the dance like he'd been taught to do.

"Don't worry about it," she said gently. "I'm the one that picked the dress, remember?"

Draco nodded. "It's just - this is the first party that I've had to - um - "

"Take a more active role?" Jeannie supplied. He nodded again. "Well, I think you're doing just fine," she said, knowing that sometimes a little encouragement was all that was needed.

"Thanks," he said, still a little stiff.

"Draco," she said, making him look at her. "Loosen up a little, I'm not going to bite you. You're a very good dancer, you're just uncomfortable. Ease up some, you're doing fine."

He took a breath and relaxed some, looking at her for approval. She smiled at him and nodded, and he smiled back. Jeannie saw Lucius watching them and knew she was going to have to play this carefully. Draco wouldn't know why she was actively being nice to him, but his father would, and she didn't want to make enemies right now. The music stopped and she and Draco moved apart. This time, however, Draco let his fingers trail along her skin as he pulled back. Jeannie raised an eyebrow at him and he grinned shyly at her, blushing. He knew he'd been caught, but Jeannie was perfectly happy to make it their little secret. Sending him a sly wink, she curtseyed as he bowed to her and they left the floor.

Jeannie spent the next couple of hours mingling and dancing and keeping her eyes open. She had seen Snape a couple of times, but he had given her a look that told her not to approach him. Knowing that he was a master spy, she followed his lead. She did notice, however, that several people (all of whom were on the Order's list of proven or suspected Death Eaters) would leave for a while, then return and act as though they had just gone to the bathroom. This told Jeannie that there was someone in the house that the Order would probably like to know about and she started thinking about how she could do a little snooping.

She danced with Draco again, who was much more comfortable with her this time around and, unfortunately, his father. There really wasn't a way that she could have gotten out of dancing with Lucius - what with it being his party and the way he had looked at her earlier, but she wasn't happy about it. He took the opportunity to question her about where she came from, clearly wanting to know her blood status but thinking it beneath him to just come out and ask, and she answered him truthfully, but superficially. She told him what he wanted to know, but didn't volunteer any more, so that he didn't have any information that he couldn't have gotten from any interview she had ever done. Unlike Severus, Jeannie wasn't playing both sides - she didn't lie to Lucius, she simply left some things out and let him come to his own conclusions.

Sometime around midnight, Jeannie saw her opportunity. She slipped away from the heart of the party and asked one of the house-elves to show her where the bathroom was. The elf lead her to a lavish bathroom that matched the decadence of the rest of the Manor and then left to continue serving the party's guests. Jeannie took a few minutes to form a plan in her mind. The hallway the house-elf had just lead her through had several doors, all of which had been closed. If she were to cast a _Homenum Revelio_ charm on each door, however, that would tell her if the rooms were occupied. She had to be careful, though, because she didn't want the spell to pick up party guests instead of sneaky Death Eaters. She had to be quick as well, because didn't want to be gone from the party for too long.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to act on her plan because just as she stepped out of the bathroom, wand in hand, she saw a man exiting a room two doors down the hall. Jeannie froze, positive that this was someone she wasn't supposed to know about. She watched as the man's head moved around as if he were sniffing the air. Then, before she could slip back into the safety of the bathroom, he turned and looked directly at her. Their eyes met and, yet again, Jeannie recognized someone. She was looking straight into the eyes of Fenrir Greyback.

_Shit._

Jeannie immediately forced herself to remain calm. She had heard that Greyback was so in tune with his wolf that he could hear the heartbeats of those around him and she _did_ _not_ want him to know that she was affected by his presence. She knew from her experience with Max and Remus and other werewolves that fear is a very strong smell and one of the easiest emotions to sense. She knew that even a werewolf who spent all his time with witches and wizards still retained his animal senses, no matter what day of the month it was. She also knew that she was very, _very_ screwed right now.

She decided to play dumb. Flashing a quick smile, she turned as if to head back to the party, but Greyback stopped her.

"Wait," he growled.

Jeannie stopped and turned, a blank look on her face. Perhaps if she acted like one of the vapid pureblood women at the party, he would think nothing more of her. That thought disappeared, however, as he began to move toward her. It took every ounce of self control she had to not back away as he got closer. She now knew what a feral werewolf looked like. She now knew why Remus feared himself so much. She now knew that she would be very lucky to live through the night.

"Yes?" she asked with a small smile, still playing dumb.

Greyback got close, very close. Jeannie struggled to retain eye contact. Whereas a human's eyes were brown or blue or grey or some combination thereof, a werewolf's eyes retained some amber or yellow- just a bit, just enough to make them different. Greyback's eyes, however, were pure yellow. Not amber from the moon, but yellow like an animal's. His body, too was menacing. He didn't walk up to her, he stalked her like a predator, waiting to strike. Jeannie stayed still, not wanting to give him any reason to.

"You know who I am," he said, stopping right in front of her. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"I don't remember being introdu- "

"You _know_ who I am," he interrupted her.

Jeannie made a show of sighing impatiently. "I'm afraid - "

"You should be," he said lowly.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm _afraid_ that I need to get back to the party before I'm missed, Mr. Greyback" she said.

He laughed. " _Mister?_ You dare to give me a wizard's title?" He laughed again. "You're bold - I'll give you that. I like it."

"It is of no concern to me what you like or don't like," she said in a snotty tone. "I must be getting back, I'll be missed - "

"By whom, Miss Jones?" came the voice of Lucius Malfoy who, by the sound of it, was standing right behind her.

Jeannie took a deep breath and turned around. "Tell me, Lucius, just what are my chances of making it out of the Manor alive tonight?" she asked him, seeing no point in carrying on the charade.

He smiled menacingly. "I honestly don't know. That depends on what _Mr._ Greyback says."

"Really? Of all the things I might have suspected you of, Lucius, I never thought you'd take your orders from beasts," she said, trying to get him to lose his temper. If he got nasty in the hallway, she had a chance of getting out of there. He wouldn't want to bring attention to the current situation. He only sneered at her, however, and another hope was dashed.

"I want to know something," said Greyback from behind her. She felt him come close and lean down to talk in her ear. "I want to know why you smell like my pup." He sniffed at her. "That wizard-loving, Dumbledore stooge _Remus Lupin._ "

_Double shit._

Jeannie knew why she smelled like Remus. She'd given him a hug before coming here.

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Well, Miss Jones, care to answer that question?"

"Not really. Who I associate with is none of your busin- _mmph!_ "

Greyback clamped a hand over her mouth at the same moment Lucius disarmed her. Jeannie kicked and screamed but, of course, she was no match for Greyback's strength. She did get in a few good kicks, however, even landing a nasty blow to Lucius' crotch. He snarled at her and silenced her, then Greyback threw her over his shoulder and hauled her into the room he had exited. He payed no attention to her kicking and punching every inch of him she could reach, instead he simply dropped her like a sack of potatoes on the floor in the middle of the room and walked away. Lucius closed the door and removed the silencing charm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Part two of this is next!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	24. Injured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Dark, dark, dark...
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"The room is warded. Nobody will hear you," said Lucius Malfoy coldly, clearly pissed off about the kick in the balls.

Jeannie said nothing, she just watched as he moved towards her. His ice blue eyes bored into her and had taken on a menacing quality that was unnerving. She had no doubt that the man in front of her knew she was at his mercy. He could do whatever he wanted with her, and he'd get away with it. Now that he had her wand, she was fairly defenseless. Whatever wandless magic she was able to do was limited to basic stuff like summoning small objects or turning the lights on. She certainly wouldn't be able to duel him, but she had a feeling that dueling was the furthest thing from his mind. Suddenly Lucius smiled at her.

"Miss Jones," he said, "allow me to introduce my sister-in-law." He gestured to someone behind her.

Jeannie looked around from her position on the floor with a feeling of dread. Sure enough, standing behind her, was Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman looked like Azkaban had sapped whatever sanity she'd ever had, but she also looked as though she was happier that way. Sirius had told her that his cousin had always been slightly demented and that it had only gotten worse as she'd gotten older. Jeannie's evening had officially gone to hell.

"Pleasure," said Jeannie dryly. Bellatrix smiled at her and bowed mockingly. She wore a black dress that looked as though she had shredded it before putting it on and her hair looked as though she'd stuck her finger in an electrical socket. Her eyes, though, were truly frightening. They were black, coal black, and glittered dangerously. There was no way to read her eyes and that made her truly unpredictable and downright scary.

"What has this lovely little specimen done, Lucius?" she asked. Her voice was high, like a little girl's, and added another dimension to her insanity.

"My dear Bella, I have reason to believe that this 'lovely little specimen', as you put it, is a member of Dumbledore's lovely little Order," he replied, now circling Jeannie.

Bellatrix's eyes widened. "Oooh, really? And how do we know that?"

"Greyback here smelled Remus Lupin on her."

The deranged witch gave an exaggerated gasp and put a hand to her heart. "Could it be true?" she asked Jeannie.

Jeannie blinked at her. "Hmm? Oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she said, earning herself the back of Lucius' hand. She didn't cry out, but she did taste blood.

"I think, Bella," said Lucius, "that we're going to have to teach her some manners."

"Oh, I quite agree," said Bellatrix, nearly bouncing in excitement, as though she had just been offered her favorite candy. "How to do it, how to do it," she sang, skipping around the room. Suddenly she stopped with a triumphant look on her face. "I know! Since she's a muggle-lover, we'll punish her in a muggle way!" Bellatrix waved her wand and a whip appeared. She studied it for a moment, then tested it, a loud _crack!_ filling the room.

"Wait," said Lucius, making Bellatrix pout. "I want Draco here. This will be a good lesson for him. Tizzy!" he shouted, summoning a house-elf. The pitiful creature appeared immediately and bowed. "Bring my son to me," Lucius ordered. The elf bowed again and disappeared.

"In the mean-time," said Bellatrix, "I'll set things up." She waved her wand at Jeannie, binding her wrists together and pulling then above her head so that her feet just barely grazed the floor. Jeannie kicked and fought, but the bindings were too good, so she started mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

The door opened and Draco walked in. He closed the door and turned around. His eyes met Jeannie's and, in that moment, she knew Draco Malfoy. Harry had told her that Draco was evil, but Jeannie could see that he was just a scared little boy. His already pale face lost even more color and he swallowed hard before looking at his father. Jeannie could see Draco trembling and tried to tell him with her eyes that, whatever happened, it would be okay. Even if Lucius forced Draco to punish her himself, she was not going to hold a grudge against the boy. He may have the Dark Mark on his arm soon enough, but Draco Malfoy was no Death Eater and Jeannie knew it.

"You called me, father?" he said, his voice wavering just a little.

"Yes, Draco," said Lucius, moving to stand beside his son in front of Jeannie. "This young lady has come here under false pretenses tonight. She is one of Dumbledore's little puppets and your aunt and I have decided to punish her accordingly. I want you to witness it."

"Yes, father," Draco said, his voice just barely above a whisper.

"Draco," Bellatrix called. "I want you to watch me very closely because you're going to help." Draco looked at Jeannie once more, as if trying to apologize for what he may have to do to her, then went to stand next to his aunt behind her. "Now," Bellatrix said, "you hold the whip like this," she paused, "then you bring it back like this and - "

_Crack!_

The whip came down sharply on Jeannie's back. Her muscles tensed involuntarily, but she didn't make a sound. She was determined not to give the bastards the satisfaction of hearing her scream. Lucius and Greyback moved in and out of her vision, clearly trying to get the best view of the show.

"You see, Draco," Bellatrix said. "I'll show you again."

_Crack!_

Jeannie flinched again and tears began forming in her eyes. She wondered if Severus had noticed her absence.

"Now you try." Jeannie supposed that Bellatrix had given Draco the whip. She heard shuffling behind her, and knew that Draco was trying to find a way to do this without actually having to hurt her, but that was going to be impossible. Hopefully, he was smart enough to realize that it would only get worse for both of them if he mucked about.

"Like this?" she heard Draco ask, giving her time to prepare herself for the next blow.

_Crack!_

Jeannie bit down hard on her lip, again tasting blood.

"Yes, very good, Draco," came Lucius' voice, almost purring. _Dirty bastard,_ Jeannie thought, _he's probably getting a stiffie from this._ "Again."

_Crack!_

Lucius made Draco give her five more lashes before he was satisfied. "Alright, Draco, you may rejoin the party. I don't want your presence to be missed."

"Yes, father," Draco said. Jeannie heard him moving around, then saw him walk to the door. He stopped and look back at her once, then he was gone. She hoped that he had enough left in him to say something to Snape. He was the only one that could help at all.

"Now, my dear," she heard Lucius say to her. "Playtime is over." By now, she could fell blood beginning to run down her back and felt herself beginning to weaken. She clamped her mouth shut, though, and waited for the next round. She didn't wait long. Lucius - or Bellatrix - she wasn't sure which, began giving her lash after lash until she'd lost count of how many there'd been and threatened to lose consciousness. Jeannie could hear laughing and Greyback had started circling her again with a predatory look on his face, is nostrils flaring with every lash. Her eyes grew heavy and the tears were running freely, but still she didn't make a sound.

Then her salvation appeared. The door in front of her opened and Severus Snape slipped into the room. He looked around, taking in the scene before him and Jeannie begged him with her eyes to make it stop.

"Have you taken leave of your senses, Lucius?" Snape asked mildly.

"I beg your pardon, Severus? Since when have you minded punishing one of Dumbledore's pets?" Lucius answered imperiously.

"I enjoy few things more, as you well know, but do you think it wise to do this with a house full of guests who are beginning to question your absence? And afterwards - did you plan on killing her or letting her go? You know she's in the public eye and the Dark Lord does not want publicity yet."

"What do you suggest, Severus?" asked Lucius, sounding disappointed in having to stop his little game.

"Go back to your party, Lucius. I will take care of this. You've had your fun, Bella," he said when she made a sound of protest.

"But I haven't made her scream yet, Severus," she whined.

"That's too bad, Bella, but now it's over," Snape drawled, sounding bored with it all. "Go back to your guests, Lucius, tell them that Miss Jones had to leave. I'll take it from here."

"You didn't tell us she was part of the Order, Severus," Bellatrix said. "Is there a reason for this oversight?" Jeannie noticed, even in her diminished state, that the witch sounded suspicious of Snape.

"I give my information to the Dark Lord, Bella, not to you. If you have a problem with that, take it up with him," he answered with finality.

Jeannie heard her huff like a child that's just been denied ice cream. "Fine," she said petulantly.

Lucius moved to the door and stopped in front of Severus. "You seem awfully keen to 'take care of this'," he said.

"Hardly," Snape said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm simply trying to minimize the work I have to do to clean up your mess. As it stands, I have to treat her - possibly for days if you've done this properly. Imagine all the work I'd have to do if you'd killed her and this was the last place she was seen alive. The Ministry may be in your pocket, Lucius, but the gossip papers aren't. You still need to exercise a _bit_ of discretion."

Jeannie hung heavily on the invisible bindings as the world began to close in on her. Her vision started getting blurry and there was a rushing in her ears making it hard to hear what was going on around her. She was exhausted physically and mentally and she could feel blood steadily soaking into her dress. She had no idea how much longer she would last like this and she desperately needed Severus to wrap up this little pissing contest with Lucius. Just as her eyes started to close she felt a spell hit her. Her eyes opened wide and she tried desperately to communicate what just happened to Snape. Thankfully, he understood, because he immediately rounded on Bellatrix.

"What was that, Bella?" he asked.

"What was what?" she evaded.

Jeannie saw Snape give her a look, then seemed to get down to business. "Fine, cut her down." Nothing happened. Snape sighed and flicked his wand, cutting her bindings himself. Jeannie fell to the floor in a heap and didn't move. She didn't have the energy to. Feeling herself being levitated, she tried to look at Severus, but he was still talking to Lucius.

"I'll need the use of the floo in your study, it's connected directly to my office," he said.

"Fine," Lucius replied curtly.

* * *

 

Jeannie was only dimly aware of being led through the bowels of Malfoy Manor before being shoved into a fireplace. Coming out on the other end, she appeared to be in the Hogwarts dungeons and was listening to Snape muttering angrily under his breath and tossing several items into a small black bag. When he had what he needed, Jeannie was once again thrown into a floo connection and this time came out in the the sitting room of Grimmauld Place still under the levitation charm with Snape right behind her. She barely registered everyone's shocked faces before Sirius was on his feet and pinning Snape against the mantlepiece with his wand out.

"What the fuck did you do to her!?" Sirius shouted, while Remus tried wrestling him back.

Snape shoved Sirius away from him angrily. "This is courtesy of your dear cousin Bella, Black, and if I'm not able to treat her _very soon_ , I promise you, she will die."

"Sirius, enough!" shouted Lupin, still holding him back. He turned his attention to Snape "What do we need to do?"

"Get her upstairs to one of the bedrooms," he barked. "Somewhere she can stay for a few days- "

"My room," Sirius interrupted.

"Whatever," Snape sneered. "Lupin - alert Dumbledore. We need him here immediately."

Remus nodded and Sirius took over levitating Jeannie. He lead her up the stairs to his bedroom with Snape following close behind. Opening the door, he carefully floated her in and set her in the middle of the room in front of his bed. Snape entered and waved his wand, lighting the room. He walked over to Sirius' nightstand and enlarged it, then began laying out the things he had grabbed from his office. Turning, he saw Sirius standing beside Jeannie awaiting instruction.

"Bellatrix hexed her just before I got her out of there. I don't know what it was, so I need to figure that out first. I cast a stasis charm on her to slow the bleeding, but I will have to remove it to do diagnostic spells. In the mean-time, levitating her is the only magic I'm willing to risk on her person, so anything I tell you to do will have to be done by hand. Clear?"

Sirius looked as though he'd rather eat troll dung than let Snape order him about, but he nodded anyway. He was _not_ going to let Jeannie die.

"Good," Snape said, walking to the door. "Miss Weasley! Miss Granger!" he barked. Several pairs of feet were heard coming up the stairs and Sirius knew all the kids had come, not just the girls. "Only Miss Weasley and Miss Granger - the rest will stay out of here and will not interfere," Snape ordered.

Hermione and Ginny entered the room and their eyes widened at the sight of Jeannie floating in the air, bloody and bruised.

"I need you two to undress Miss Jones," said Snape, conjuring two pairs of scissors. The girls just stared, so Sirius spoke up.

"This is the most magic we can use on her at the moment," Sirius explained. "To assess all of her injuries, it's best if we get her undressed first. I'll hold her up while you cut away her clothing. You're just going to have to be adults about this," he said apologetically. The girls took the scissors from Snape and approached Jeannie. By now, Jeannie was unconscious, which made it a bit easier for Hermione and Ginny. They went to work snipping away at her dress while Snape went back to his potions and Sirius concentrated on keeping her still.

"What now?" Sirius asked, his voice sharp.

Snape glanced over to see that the girls were finished. He walked over to her and grabbed her chin. Pouring three vials of something down her throat, he watched her face. When some color returned to her skin he said, "Lay her down on the bed. On her stomach," he added.

Sirius moved her to hover vertically over his bed, but just as he was about to let her down, Hermione held her hand up. He hesitated while she and Ginny pulled away his sheets and situated his pillows so that Jeannie would be as comfortable as possible. He set her down on his bed and gave the girls a small smile. They returned it, but still looked petrified. Just then, the door opened and Remus walked in with Dumbledore.

Snape looked up. "Headmaster," he greeted.

"Severus. What do we have here?" Dumbledore asked gravely, his blue eyes dull and without their usual twinkle.

"From what I gathered, she somehow ran afoul of Lucius who decided to give Bellatrix a Christmas present. How and why, I don't know. She has been whipped, she has a split lip and Bella hexed her with something. I don't yet know what curse she used . She's under a stasis charm at the moment and I've given her three vials of blood replenishing potion before removing that. She's lost a lot of blood," he finished.

Dumbledore nodded. "Do you still need Miss Weasley and Miss Granger?"

Snape shook his head. The girls put the scissors on the nightstand and left the room. Snape went over to Jeannie and took a deep breath. Bellatrix could be very creative with her curses and he hoped that whatever she had sent Jeannie's way wasn't too complicated to undo. He waved his wand, removing the stasis charm, and watched as the blood began to flow again. He cast a series of diagnostic spells over her, but it took him longer than he thought to find, understand, and remove Bellatrix's curse. Jeannie had lost even more blood at this point and it was getting dangerous. Thinking quickly he cast another stasis charm on Jeannie and called for Hermione again. She entered the room apprehensively, trying not to look at the body on the bed.

"Miss Granger, are you familiar with the Muggle practice of donating blood?" he asked.

Hermione's eyes went wide. "Y-yes, sir," she stammered, confused.

"Good. Of the people in this room, who would you choose to donate blood for Miss Jones?"

She made a quick scan of the room. "Sirius," she said.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "And why is that?" he asked her.

"What the hell, Snape?!" Sirius interrupted angrily. "This isn't a classroom!"

"I am aware of that, Black. Miss Jones has lost more blood than can be replaced with potions. She needs whole blood and, therefore, someone needs to give blood. I know that muggles donate blood to hospitals, but since Miss Granger is a muggle-born, I believe she may have some valuable insight that I don't. Now," he said, turning his attention back to Hermione, "why is Black the best option?"

"Well, sir, assuming that you are the primary physician, donating blood would weaken you to the point that you would have to take a break. Professor Dumbledore is, um, older, " she glanced at Dumbledore who merely smiled at her, " and it may weaken him too much. Remus would not want to take the chance of passing on his lycanthropy. I've never been allowed to donate because I don't weigh enough - my body wouldn't be able to handle it. That leaves Sirius."

Snape thought this over. "Yes, I agree with you," he said, nodding. "Would you be able to describe to me - in _exact_ detail, mind you - the device used in the extraction of the blood?"

"Yes, sir," Hermione said confidently. "My mother donates blood every summer and I always go with her."

"Excellent. Begin," he said, his wand at the ready. Hermione blinked, then started describing everything from the bag to the tube to the needle. It took a few minutes, but Snape conjured a device that Hermione was happy with. When that was done, she told Sirius to have a seat and she knelt in front of him and asked him to roll up his sleeve. He did so, then offered his arm to Hermione. She took it, but her hands were shaking so badly that Sirius had to give her a few moments to calm down.

"It's going to be fine, Hermione, just take a deep breath," he said, soothingly.

"It's just - I've never done this before and I don't want to hurt you," she said nervously.

"You're not going to, sweetheart. I'm tough," he said in a deep, manly voice that made her giggle. It worked, though, and she calmed down enough to find the vein on the first try.

Once the blood bag was full, things went very quickly. Snape took the blood and immediately hooked it up to Jeannie, going slowly, as per Hermione's instructions. She made Sirius eat one of Dumbledore's lemon drops in lieu of a cookie to get his blood sugar back to normal and told him to stay put for at least half an hour. She didn't want him getting dizzy or passing out before his body had time to heal. Sirius also took one of Snape's blood replenishing potions, just to be on the safe side.

After another hour of watching and waiting, Snape declared that Jeannie was out of the woods. What she needed now was rest - there was nothing more he could do for her. Dumbledore praised Hermione for her help and cool head at the critical time which made her blush furiously. Sirius thanked her as well, and Remus opened the door to find five teenagers sitting in the hallway, clearly waiting on the prognosis. Remus filled them in while everyone else went down to the kitchen for a cup of tea. Dumbledore put the kettle on, and they all had a cup, then went to bed for whatever sleep they could get before dawn broke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I skimmed over the 'giving blood' part because I didn't think too many details on that were important. I just wanted to get the facts in there. Please review!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	25. Waking Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I'm so glad everyone seemed to like the drama at the Christmas party. Unfortunately, Jeannie's ordeal isn't quite over, but we won't see that until the next chapter. Also, one of my readers from FFnet had a few issues with the last chapter and I'd like to address a couple of them here, too, just in case some of you feel the same way: a) I was a bit too vague during the 'giving blood' - i.e., skimming over blood type and separating plasma from red blood cells. Honestly, I put in what I felt was necessary to last chapter's plot without making it too technical. I freely admit to being a bit ignorant about the process, and I hope it didn't turn any of you off, but I didn't want to make anyone squirm, either. It's a good point, though, but I'm not going to go into any greater detail about it. At least, not right now. That was more of a set-up for the plot-line than anything else. b) It was unnecessary to have Hermione and Ginny remove Jeannie's underwear (I originally had them remove all her clothing). On this, I agree, and have edited out those three sentences. It worked well when I was writing that paragraph, but it's something that we can easily assume Sirius took care of later. I really like getting those kind of reviews, though, because it shows just how much attention the reader is paying to the chapter, and forces me to keep the quality up. I can't say that I will always agree with you, but please feel free to send me points like these if something is bothering you. I will do my best to address any issue you have, and I'm open to any comments that aren't flames ;)
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling

_The night before:_

_"Have a drink, Sirius," suggested Remus, trying to get his friend to stop pacing._

_"I don't want a drink," Sirius answered shortly._

_"Then have a cigarette."_

_"I don't have any cigarettes."_

_"Would you like me to knock you over the head?" This earned more than a few sniggers from the teenagers in the room._

_Sirius glared at him. "I don't like this, Moony- "_

_"Yes, I know you don't like this, Sirius, that's all you've been saying about it since it was brought up. Two weeks ago!" said Remus, losing patience. "There's nothing you can do about it right now except wait for her to get back. And try not to drive me insane in the process!"_

_Sirius huffed and threw himself into his chair, his senses on high alert and his foot tapping a hole in the rug. He watched the boys play chess for a while, and it nearly took his mind off the current situation to see Harry prove to be just as shit at the game as his father had been. Ron beat him solidly three times before he'd had enough and suggested they move on to Exploding Snap. They were into their fourth game of that when the floo activated..._

_-end flashback-_

It was mid-morning and Jeannie still hadn't woken up. Molly had gone spare when she'd returned from spending the night at St. Mungo's with Arthur and Remus told her what happened. Rushing up to Sirius' bedroom, she'd flung the door open, earning a surprised yelp from Sirius who'd been in dog form at the time, then quietly made her way over to the bed and gently brushed Jeannie's hair from her face while silently sobbing. Sirius shifted back into himself, wrapped his arms around the older woman and, as he'd done for Ginny just days before, let her cry herself out into his shirt. It had taken a few minutes, but after one last sniffle, Molly thanked him and told him she'd send up a plate of breakfast as soon as she had it done.

Snape had stopped by with more potions and a healing salve for her wounds so she would heal as quickly and as comfortably as possible. He'd also performed a few tests on her and had seemed satisfied with the results. Remus came in a couple of times, wanting to see if there was any improvement and if Sirius needed anything. He said that Dumbledore had floo-called and asked about her but, of course, there was nothing to tell. Tonks had come by, too, but she'd gone to bed after seeing Jeannie. It had been a long night for her as well since she'd been on guard duty. Max hadn't been able to stay long. He'd taken one look at Jeannie's back and his whole body went stiff. Sirius' extra senses picked up on his rage, and he understood when Max had to leave. Sirius figured he'd gone to find something to destroy, and he couldn't blame him.

Sirius looked up as Hermione appeared in the doorway. She was carrying a tray with what looked and smelled like the breakfast Molly had told him she'd send up. Hermione gave him a small smile and moved into the room, setting the tray down on the night stand with Snape's healing potions and trying not to look at the young woman on the bed. Sometime during the night, Sirius had covered her lower half with a blanket, but her shredded back was still on display. Hermione assumed it would be painful to have anything touching her back right now.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"Not really," he said with a half-smile, enlarging the chair he was sitting in and making it a sofa, then patting the spot beside him. Hermione sat down with him as he levitated the night stand and the food over to himself. "How's Molly?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged. "As good as can be expected, I suppose. She's got a husband in the hospital and a daughter injured and unconscious." She chuckled. "She's been smothering us since we got up and she'll probably keep at it until we go back to school. Ginny especially."

Sirius nodded. He'd have been very surprised if Molly hadn't gone completely mental-mother-hen on everyone. Hermione sat with him while he ate and when he was done, he floated the table back to where it belonged and turned to her. He'd been thinking about what they'd done last night, specifically what _she'd_ done to _him_ , and he wanted to talk to her about it. Sirius knew he was woefully ignorant about most things Muggle and he'd never heard of 'giving blood'. It sounded an awful lot like blood magic and he wasn't sure exactly how he felt about that. Blood magic was a double-edged sword at the best of times, and he didn't want to do more damage to Jeannie.

"Hermione, tell me about this 'giving blood' thing," he said. "What exactly did we do last night?"

"Well, it's common for Muggles to do something called 'donating blood'." Sirius gave her a blank look. "Um, well - in Muggle medicine, sometimes a person looses more blood than is safe and even though their body will reproduce this blood given enough time, sometimes they loose so much blood that their bodies can't replace it on their own. It's really the same concept as a Blood-Replenishing Potion, but instead of the potion, we used real blood. I'm not really sure why... perhaps I'll ask Professor Snape next time he's here... the potion really should have been enough..." she trailed off.

"Hermione," said Sirius, bringing her back from her thoughts. "I still don't understand. Why would a Muggle 'donate' their blood?"

"Because Muggle healers use it to - well - heal people," she said lamely. Sirius cocked an eyebrow at her. "Okay, I go with my mother every summer when she donates blood. She does exactly what we did last night, you know, with the bag and all? When the bag is full, a Muggle healer takes it and labels it with her blood type, and then stores it so it can be used later. It's fairly common for Muggle healers to do what Professor Snape did. They hook up blood to the patient and put it directly into their bodies instead of waiting for the patient's body to replace it on it's own. I think there's a few more steps to it in the Muggle world, but Professor Snape seemed to know what he was doing."

Sirius thought for a minute. "So," he said slowly, "it's like Jeannie needed something more potent than a blood-replenishing potion?"

"Something like that," Hermione agreed.

"Okay, so why did you choose me?"

"Well, giving blood takes a lot out of a person. Professor Snape was still working on Jeannie, so it wouldn't be good if he needed to take a rest. Professor Dumbledore is - well, ancient really," this made Sirius chuckle, " and his body may not have been able to handle it. I've never been allowed to give blood because I don't weigh enough; _my_ body wouldn't be able to handle it. Remus wouldn't want to because he'd be worried about passing on his condition. That left you."

Sirius sat back and digested this while he finished his coffee. It didn't sound like any bonding spell-work had been done last night, but magical blood was different than Muggle blood. He supposed that he needed to talk to Dumbledore about this. If anyone would know about blood magic and bonds, it would be the 'ancient' wizard. Just as he was thinking that, he saw a slight movement on the bed. Setting down his coffee hurriedly, he rushed over to Jeannie to see her eyes fluttering. He turned to Hermione.

"Hermione, go get Remus. Tell him she's waking up," he said urgently.

Hermione nodded and ran out of the room. Sirius put a hand on Jeannie's arm and spoke softly to her. Her eyes opened and looked at him just as he heard heavy steps in the hall. Remus appeared in the doorway and, when he saw Sirius talking to Jeannie, he rushed over as well. The two men knelt by the bed as she took in her surroundings. The last thing Jeannie remembered was seeing Sirius yelling at Snape as she'd come through the floo. She didn't know how she got naked or how she got into Sirius' bed and she had no idea how long she'd been out. A while, apparently, because the sun was bright in the window.

"Baby?" Sirius asked, wanting her to say something.

"Hi," she croaked, her mouth curling up slightly in an approximation of a smile. Both men breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hermione, could you bring me some parchment, please?" Remus asked the girl standing in the doorway. When she returned, Remus scribbled a quick note to Dumbledore telling him that Jeannie was awake and to bring Snape. Waving his wand over it, he sent it straight to the headmaster, hoping he would arrive quickly.

"Will you do one more thing for me, Hermione?" Remus asked. "Will you go downstairs and wait for Albus? Better let Molly know, too, but ask her not to come up yet. I'd like Snape to look over Jeannie first."

Hermione nodded. "Sure, Remus."

"Talk to me, Jeannie," Sirius was saying as Remus came and stood by the bed. "Does anything hurt?"

Jeannie frowned. "I'm really sore. All over, but my back is the worst. I'm really tired, too. How long was I out?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"Well," Sirius thought about it, "Snape got you back here around midnight and it's almost noon, so - nearly 12 hours, I guess."

"Sirius," said Remus, nodding towards the doorway. Sirius looked up to see Snape and Dumbledore standing there. He waved them in.

"We have to check you out, okay?" Sirius told Jeannie. She nodded, so he moved out of the way to let Snape work on her. The potions master ran several spells over her and asked her a series of questions. When he'd finished, he pulled out a set of instructions for the potions he'd left earlier. Now that she was awake, the potions could be used. There was one for general muscle aches because her back would probably be sore for days, and another to prevent scarring. When he was done with that, he asked her to tell him what exactly happened.

Jeannie sighed heavily. She wasn't sure that she wanted to have this conversation right now, but she knew why he needed to know. Then she had an idea - she asked Sirius to hand her her wand (which Snape was kind enough to get back from Malfoy before leaving the Manor the night before) and she conjured a small vial. She gave the vial to Sirius to hold for her, then placed her wand at her temple and focused on what happened. When she removed her wand, a silver thread trailed after it, and she guided the thread into the vial in Sirius' hand. Sirius stoppered the vial and handed it to Snape, who nodded and left.

Dumbledore left shortly after Snape, but before he did, he apologized to Jeannie for putting her in that situation and asked her permission to view the memory she'd given Snape. Jeannie waved off the apology - yes, Dumbledore had wanted her to go to the party, but she was not going to blame him for what happened - and told him that it was fine with her if he saw the memory. He thanked her and left as well.

His departure was Molly's cue to come up and visit. The matriarch had been very good while Jeannie was unconscious, but now she was awake, and Molly had mothering to do. As soon as the headmaster floo'd back to Hogwarts, Molly went straight up to Sirius' bedroom to see what needed to be done. She already had an enormous pot of chicken soup on the stove and a batch of Jeannie's favorite blueberry muffins in the oven and, judging by what she'd seen when she got back from the hospital that morning, Jeannie probably needed a bath.

"Hello, sweetie," Molly said softly, moving Sirius out of her way.

"Hey, mom," Jeannie said, her voice still weak and rough. "How's pops doing?"

"Getting better every day. Especially now that he's finally stopped trying Muggle remedies and has let the healers do their jobs," she answered, more to herself than to Jeannie.

Jeannie chuckled weakly, remembering the fit Molly had thrown a few days before when she found out Arthur had convinced one of the junior healers to try 'alternative medicine' in the form of Muggle stitches. They had literally disintegrated around his wounds and his healers had to rush to stop the fresh blood flow.

"How would you feel about trying to get up?" Molly asked, stroking Jeannie's hair away from her face. "Nothing strenuous, but you'll feel a lot better after a hot bath. I'll help you, dear."

"That does sound really good," Jeannie admitted. "I feel... sticky and gross."

Molly nodded sympathetically. "I know, dear. We'll go as slow as you need to, okay?"

Jeannie nodded. "Okay."

"I'll get things set up," Molly said. Apparently this meant immediately throwing out the men, one of whom was not particularly happy about it.

"You've got kids to take care of, I can help Jeannie!" Sirius protested as he was evicted from his own bedroom.

"Absolutely not! Out, the both of you!" Molly insisted, closing the door in Sirius' face.

Sirius huffed, but obediently followed Remus down to the sitting room where the rest of the household had gathered, awaiting news. He told them all he could and poured himself a glass of firewhiskey before flopping down into his chair and scowling at the coffee table while he waited for Molly to get done and let him back in his room. His scowl didn't last long, though, as he remembered all that had happened on that coffee table during the last few weeks.

"What's that look for?" Remus asked, noticing the sudden change in expression on Sirius's face and recognizing it from when they were teenagers. It was the look that said _'I've done something filthy and I enjoyed it'._

Sirius looked at his friend and shook his head, his grin turning into a fond smile. "Nothing," Sirius replied, "just thinking."

"Yes, I know that," said Remus. "The question is what are you thinking about?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Sirius said with a chuckle. The werewolf shook his head and let it go. In all honesty, he knew Sirius well enough to know that he probably didn't want an answer to that. Especially after he and Tonks caught them sleeping together that one morning.

* * *

Upstairs, Molly was helping Jeannie sit up slowly, then stand up slowly, then make their way to the bathroom slowly. After getting rid of all males in the room, she'd gone straight into Sirius' bathroom, performed a few cursory (but much needed) cleaning spells and flicked her wand at the tub so it would start filling itself with hot water. Then she'd gone over to the nightstand where Snape had left Jeannie's potions and carefully read the instructions, looking particularly for anything about hot baths. There was nothing specific, so Molly decided to just be gentle with her. Jeannie's back was still raw and probably would be for a few days, but a hot bath never did anyone any harm.

"That's it, dear," Molly said, leading Jeannie into the bathroom and letting the girl hold onto her while she climbed into the tub.

Jeannie lowered herself slowly into the scalding water and sighed contentedly. Due to her injuries, she couldn't lay against the back of the tub, but that was a small price to pay for the warmth that was seeping into her bones. Looking around, she took in the moldy opulence of Sirius' bathroom. Despite having been in his bedroom a couple of times before, she'd never seen the bathroom. The Slytherin pride of the Black family was obvious from the solid silver snake-head faucets to the green and silver tiles and sheer green curtains on the small window. Like the rest of the house, though, the bathroom had fallen into disrepair from neglect and Jeannie knew from experience that getting Sirius to actually fix something or restore it was harder than Hagrid's rock cakes. The man truly hated the house and unless it posed a threat to the kid's safety, he wasn't interested in improving it.

With Jeannie settled safely into the tub, Molly left the bathroom temporarily to find something for her to wear. Leaving the bedroom, thinking that she'd ask Hermione if Jeannie could borrow some of her things since Jeannie was so petite, she ran straight into Tonks. Or, rather, Tonks ran into her.

"S-s-sorry, Molly," the pink-haired witch apologized while yawning.

"That's alright, Tonks dear," Molly said, being long-used to Tonks' clumsiness. This gave her an idea, though. Instead of borrowing the girls' clothes, she asked Tonks to go over to Jeannie's place and collect a few things she might like and need. If anyone knew what she might want, it would be Tonks. The younger woman agreed, of course, and headed downstairs to use the floo, asking Remus to go with her. An Auror never went anywhere alone, if they could help it, but Molly suspected Remus was picked for another reason. She'd seen the looks that passed between the young cousin and the older professor, and Molly was no fool. Smiling to herself, she headed back into Sirius' bathroom to check on Jeannie.

By the time Jeannie was clean and ready to leave the warmth of the tub, Tonks and Remus had returned with an overnight bag full of Jeannie's things so she would have something to change into. Tonks pulled out an over-sized sweater that looked like it had once belonged to Max, a pair of warm sleep pants and some extra-long socks to keep her notoriously cold feet warm. Knocking on the bathroom door, she opened it without waiting for an answer and found Molly gingerly applying some of Snape's anti-scarring salve to Jeannie's back. The wounds were pretty awful, but her back looked better without the dried blood. She smiled at her friend and Jeannie smiled tiredly back.

"I hear you mucked up your first assignment," Tonks said. "Really! I thought I'd taught you better."

Jeannie laughed. "Yeah, I fell head-first into a snake pit. And got bit," she answered, pointing to her back.

Tonks moved into the room and carefully wrapped her arms around Jeannie. The girls shared a sisterly kiss and pulled apart; they knew how the other felt. Tonks put the outfit she'd picked out for Jeannie on the counter so Molly could help her into the clothes. When that was done, they both helped Jeannie back into Sirius' bed and Molly went downstairs to check on the chicken soup. As she got downstairs, she saw that Max had returned. Happy that she could give him some good news, she let him know that Jeannie was awake and yes, he could go up and see her. Jeannie looked up as Max came into view and smiled at him.

"Schwesterherz," he said quietly, walking up to the bed and kissing the top of her head. "You worried me."

"I didn't mean to," she replied, moved by his words. He hadn't called her _'Schwesterherz'_ , or _'sister dear'_ , since she was a child. It had been almost a pet name at one time and she had never realized how much she missed it.

"Don't do that again," he pleaded.

"I'll try not to."

Max nodded and looked around the room, taking in the scantily clad Muggle girls on the walls. "Whose room is this?"

"Sirius'," Tonks answered.

"Oh, yes?" Max asked, looking at Jeannie. The young woman rolled her eyes at the protective look on his face.

"Yes, Max," she said firmly, answering his unasked question. "Sirius'."

"Hmm," was all Max said about it. He'd never argued with her about her choice of men, and he wasn't about to start now. It was her decision; his job was to take care of her if things went south and if they went far enough south, treat himself to the joy of breaking bones.

Tonks and Max stayed and talked to Jeannie for a while, until Sirius showed up with a bowl of steaming chicken soup a la Molly. Jeannie was already starting to feel tired again, but she needed to eat. The last food she'd had was at the Malfoy's, and that was just finger foods. The last _meal_ she'd eaten was close to twenty-four hours before. Jeannie nearly licked her bowl clean and drank a large glass of water, then laid back down - on her side, so as not to hurt her back. Sirius picked up her bowl and started to ask her if she wanted more, but stopped when he noticed she was already asleep. Her injuries had taken a toll on her body, and she needed the rest. He chuckled quietly and pulled the covers over her, then herded his cousin and Max out of the room, leaving the door ajar so he could hear it if she called for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: There's going to be a bit more 'Max playing big brother' very soon; I simply haven't had room yet. Thanks to a German reader for 'Schwesterherz'. It means 'sister dear', and I think it fits perfectly for Jeannie and Max's relationship.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	26. A Gift From Kreacher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I did say that Jeannie's ordeal isn't quite over yet, and here it is. She does get a break after this, though.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

It wasn't until the next day that Jeannie felt good enough to brave the stairs and, even then, she held onto Sirius the whole way down. He lead her into the sitting room slowly, as her body was still stiff and sore. She also tired easily, so the trip down the stairs was enough for now. Sitting her down on one of the sofas, Sirius grabbed the blanket off the back and covered her with it. This was not missed by the occupants of the room, which included Max. Jeannie had all but confirmed some kind of relationship the day before, but this was the first time he'd seen it in action. Sirius seemed gentle with her, but that didn't mean Max wasn't going to threaten castration like any good brother would do.

"Feeling a bit better, Jeannie?" asked Hermione, who was sitting on the floor with Ginny, going through the latest copy of _Witch Weekly._

"A bit," she answered, "but I really came down because I couldn't stand to look at those sluts on Sirius' wall any longer." The girls laughed at that and Sirius pouted. They'd caught a glimpse of the 'artwork' dotting Sirius' bedroom walls the night they were in there helping to heal Jeannie.

"What sluts?" asked Fred and George, earning a look from Remus about their language. They'd never been in Sirius' bedroom.

"When I was a teenager, I used a permanent sticking charm on the walls of my bedroom for pictures of scantily clad Muggle girls posing with motorbikes," Sirius said unabashedly. "Pissed my mother off to no end."

Once Sirius got her settled on the sofa, Molly appeared with another bowl of chicken soup. One of the reasons that Jeannie and Arthur got along so well was the fact that they both found it amusing how many things Muggles and Magical people shared without even knowing it, and chicken soup was one of them. A nice, hot bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup was a proven cure-all for everyone, and nobody knew this better than a woman who'd raised seven children. It did not matter if the children were magic or Muggle, chicken soup was the answer.

Between the warmth of the soup and the warmth of the blanket Sirius covered her in, Jeannie was starting to feel pretty good, considering. She stayed downstairs for a while, watching the kids play chess or exploding snap and do their holiday homework. Moody dropped by with a bar of Honeyduke's finest dark chocolate for her and told her she'd made him proud, staying strong and surviving like she had. This was high praise, indeed, from a man who'd lost limbs fighting the very people she'd mingled with at the party. Thanking him, she set the chocolate aside for later and snuggled deeper into the sofa.

By the early afternoon, though, Jeannie was ready for another nap. Sirius offered to apparate her up to the bedroom, but she refused, saying that she needed to move a little. She hadn't been able to do any stretching for two days and her muscles needed to work, if only for a few stairs. Sirius relented and walked beside her, ready to step in if she needed help. They made it out of the sitting room just fine, but as Jeannie approached the stairs, she stubbed her toe and swore loudly, forgetting momentarily where she was and waking up Mrs. Black.

The curtains flew open like usual but this time, instead of seeking out Sirius, the hideous old hag fixed her gaze on Jeannie.

_"You!"_ she sneered. _"Merlin only knows what whore's blood runs through your veins! How dare you touch any progeny of mine!"_

"Oi!," Sirius shouted. "You leave her out of it!"

The old woman ignored her son, keeping her eyes on Jeannie. _"How dare you befoul the house of my fathers by fornicating under this roof! My eldest son, shame that he is to me, is still the heir of this family! I will not have you sullying my blood-line!"_ she finished in a screech.

Jeannie was shocked. She'd never heard Mrs. Black pick on any individual that wasn't Sirius, except for vague insults about the 'freaks' and 'half-breeds' that were inhabiting her house. Now, it seemed that not only did she know who Jeannie was (at least she knew enough to single her out), but she also thought that Jeannie and Sirius had been intimate. Which technically wasn't true. Sure, they'd fooled around some, but they hadn't actually had sex. At least, not any kind of sex that could result in a pregnancy.

She was broken out of her thoughts by Sirius marching up to his mother's painting and slamming his fist against it.

"You foul old bitch!" he shouted, ignoring Remus and Molly, who'd arrived on the scene. "What I do and with whom is none of your damn business and if you call her a whore again, I'll use fiend-fyre on you!"

"Sirius," Jeannie called, having had a rather deviant idea. "Please help me upstairs; all this drama isn't good for my condition." She placed a hand on her stomach as if protecting an unborn child and pouted at him, hoping he'd catch on. Sirius blinked, confused, but then his lips curled into a grin.

"Right you are, love," he said, playing along and turning away from his mother's portrait. He walked back up to Jeannie, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her up the stairs, leaving Remus and Molly to wrestle the curtains closed on his mother, all three of them having been rendered speechless. Temporarily, that is. As they got to the top of the stairs, Jeannie and Sirius heard one more blood-curdling shriek before the sound was abruptly cut off, signalling the close of the curtains.

"I'm sorry," Jeannie said as she climbed back into Sirius' bed for a nap. "I just couldn't help myself, the opportunity was too good."

"No harm done, love," Sirius said, chuckling. "I'll let Moony and Molly know it's not true; everything will be fine."

"Alright," she replied with a yawn. "Just watch out for Molly's wand." Sirius made a face at her as he closed the door partially, like he'd done before, so he could hear her if she called for him.

* * *

In all the ruckus, however, none of them noticed a small shadow in the corner of the front hall with tennis-ball sized eyes watching the scene play out. Kreacher let out a gasp at the filthy whore's insinuation that she was pregnant, but nobody heard it mainly because of the red-headed mother of the blood traitors' gasp. Once the master and his whore were safely upstairs and the woman and the half-breed had gotten the curtains closed, Kreacher crept quietly up to his beloved mistress' portrait and whispered to her.

"My poor Mistress," the elf lamented.

_"I want you to do something for me, Kreacher,"_ the old woman whispered to her faithful servant.

"Yes, Mistress. Kreacher lives to serve the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," Kreacher replied.

_"You must kill it, Kreacher. Use your magic - it is harder to trace. Kill the whelp growing inside her,"_ Walburga hissed.

"Yes, Mistress. Kreacher will kill it. It will not live to shame the House of Black," the elf promised.

_"Good Kreacher,"_ Walburga cooed. _"Do it today when she is asleep."_

"Yes, Mistress," Kreacher rasped, lovingly caressing the frame of the portrait before turning away and creeping silently up the stairs. He waited in the shadows until the master left his bedroom and Kreacher knew that the whore was alone, then crept towards the room, peeking around the door to see if she was asleep yet. He watched her fluff the master's pillows and lay her unworthy head upon them, then he heard her breathing even out. Moving silently further into the room, he watched her, wanting her to be deep in sleep before making his move.

Kreacher moved closer to the bed when he was sure she wouldn't wake and began his curse. Using ancient elf-magic, he said the words that would cause her to miscarry. Creating a small, blue ball of light in his hands, he worked the ball until he it felt right to him. He sent the ball over to the whore and waited until he had a good view of her stomach. When she rolled onto her side, he sent the ball of magic into her belly. Her mid-section glowed blue for a few seconds, then the light was gone. His job done, Kreacher quickly left the room and waited.

* * *

It hadn't taken much to calm Molly down, surprisingly. Although, that may have been simply because it was a conversation she was unwilling to have in a room full of her teenage children. Sirius assured her that Jeannie had only said that to get a rise out of his mother, and that seemed to do the trick. It also helped to have two werewolves confirming the fact that she wasn't pregnant. Breathing a sigh of relief, he went back to his chair and got comfortable. Closing his eyes briefly, he wondered what exactly had happened at Malfoy Manor. She obviously hadn't wanted to discuss it and he hadn't pushed the issue, figuring that if she didn't fill him in, then Dumbledore would. Or, perhaps she was simply waiting until the next Order meeting.

With his eyes closed, he didn't see Max and Remus stiffen, then cock their heads towards the ceiling. He did, however, hear Max snap at everyone to be quiet. Sirius' eyes snapped opened and he looked at Remus, whose stance immediately put Sirius on alert. Remus' whole body was rigid, head cocked slightly to the side, clearly waiting to hear something. Max had assumed the exact same position, and then they heard it again.

"Sirius!" came a weak voice from above them. All three men flew out of their seats and up the stairs, the two wizards drawing their wands and ignoring the renewed shouts from Walburga as her curtains flew open once again. Rushing into Sirius' bedroom, they saw that the bed was empty, but there was noise coming from the bathroom. It sounded like someone was puking up their socks.

Sirius rushed in and gathered Jeannie's hair so she wouldn't get vomit all over it. The poor young woman was hunched over the toilet bowl, throwing up what looked to be everything she'd ever eaten in her life. In between gasps for air, she tried to tell him something was not right.

"I feel like something's trying to crawl out of me... _retch_... but there's nothing left... _retch_... something's very wrong... _retch_... " Tears were streaming down her face and she'd lost all the colour she'd gained that morning. Sirius turned to Max and Remus.

"Get Dumbledore, get Snape - I don't care who, get Poppy Pomfrey if you can. This is not right," he said urgently, watching them rush back out the room. "Alright, baby," he said soothingly, turning back to Jeannie. "I'm going to get someone here, okay? I'll make this right." He spoke softly to her, holding her hair back and stroking her head. Waving his wand, he cleaned up the vomit that hadn't made it into the bowl. Apparently, Jeannie hadn't gotten there fast enough the first time. Sirius also conjured a cold cloth, gently wiping her mouth and, after cleaning it, dabbing at her forehead.

Within minutes, Sirius' bathroom was filled with men. Dumbledore had come at once, bringing Snape with him, and Remus and Max had decided to stay as well. For what, exactly, was a mystery, but Jeannie was important to them, so they stayed. Snape ran tests on the vomiting woman, but couldn't come up with anything conclusive. He stepped out of the bathroom, motioning for Dumbledore to follow.

"I don't know what's wrong with her," Snape said to the old wizard. "If I had to guess, it looks like a curse to end a pregnancy, but there is no pregnancy to terminate. On top of that, this is not wizard's magic. It's older and harder to trace."

Dumbledore thought for a minute while Jeannie continued to retch, though now it was just dry heaves as there was literally nothing left in her stomach.

"It's not wizard's magic?" Dumbledore asked. "What sort of magic is it, then?"

"I don't know, but I do know that I got all of Bella's curse last night. I made absolutely sure of it, and this is not a side-effect of Black giving her blood."

"Hmm," Dumbledore said. "Do you think it could be elf magic?"

"Elf magic?" Snape repeated. "As in 'house-elf' magic? Do you think Kreacher cursed her? Why would he try to terminate a pregnancy that doesn't exist? There are easier ways to kill her."

The headmaster moved back to the doorway of the bathroom. "Sirius, we believe this may be an abortion curse. Would there be any reason for Kreacher to have tried to harm Jeannie in this way?"

Sirius froze. "Abortion curse?" he repeated, his voice deadly quiet. "I'm going to kill him."

"First, please tell us exactly what has happened today," Dumbledore asked calmly.

"My mother decided to put her two cents in about my relationship with Jeannie," Sirius answered with a snarl. "Jeannie insinuated that she was carrying my child to shut my mother up. It wasn't true, but it succeeded. Kreacher must have overheard it, or my mother called for him because she believed it."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "Remus, would you ask Harry to come up here, please?"

If Remus found this confusing, he didn't show it, nodding and swiftly leaving the room, only to return moments later with not only Harry, but Ron and Hermione as well. Dumbledore kept his eyes on Jeannie as he spoke to Harry.

"Harry, we have reason to believe that Miss Jones has been cursed by Kreacher. We cannot undo house-elf magic, but another elf can. Would you mind calling for Dobby? I believe you and he are friends and I think it would be beneficial for you to be around if he comes here. He trusts you, and he will no doubt be frightened to return to a pureblood house," Dumbledore explained, still not looking at the teenager.

Harry felt his heart sink as Dumbledore avoided looking at him. He understood, of course, after what had almost happened in the headmaster's office just before flooing to Grimmauld the night of Arthur's attack, but he couldn't help but want to catch Dumbledore's eye. Just to see if it would happen again. Harry needed to know if he was the monster or if he was being possessed by the monster, but the old wizard was not cooperating.

"Dobby?" Sirius repeated. He looked at Harry. "You've mentioned him before, haven't you?"

"Yes," he said, turning to his godfather and nodding. "I'll tell you all about him when this is over."

"Can he be trusted?" Sirius asked.

"Absolutely," said all three kids together. A ghost of a smile flickered over Dumbledore's face as Sirius's eyebrows went up. Sirius trusted Harry more than anyone except Remus, and if he said this 'Dobby' was alright, then he was alright.

"How exactly do I call a house-elf?" Harry asked, unsure.

"Just say his name," Sirius said. "As if he were in the room and you were trying to get his attention." Harry nodded and moved back into the bedroom so that the first thing Dobby saw was him and not Sirius.

"Dobby?" he called. A loud _crack_ was heard and a small elf with huge ears and large green eyes suddenly stood in front of Harry, trembling at his surroundings and clearly recognizing the house for what it was - a pureblood's dwelling.

"Harry Potter called for Dobby?" the elf said, quivering from head to toe. Harry smiled at him, trying to reassure him.

"Yes, Dobby - I need your help," Harry said, causing the elf to stand up straight and proud, though still obviously nervous.

"Harry Potter asks for Dobby's help?" he said in his squeaky voice.

"Dobby, I think you're the only one who can help me," Harry said, both truthfully and because he knew that it was exactly what Dobby loved to hear.

"What can Dobby do for Harry Potter?" the elf asked, suddenly serious.

Harry knelt down in front of Dobby and ignored Ron's snort of amusement. "Dobby, do you see that woman in the bathroom?"

Sirius wisely turned his head to the side to hide his face as Dobby looked into the bathroom and nodded.

"She's my friend. I think that a house-elf has cursed her and I need you to try to heal her. Please try, she's important to me." This wasn't strictly true - to Harry, Jeannie was just another member of the Order, but the teenager hadn't missed the looks that passed between the young woman and his godfather, and Harry had no doubt that Sirius would take it badly if anything happened to her. And, by extension, anything that affected Sirius, affected Harry.

"Dobby will do his best, Harry Potter" Dobby swore, drawing himself up to his full height and puffing out his chest. He moved toward the bathroom, but Harry stopped him.

"There's one more thing I need to tell you, Dobby," he said, sharing a look with Hermione and Ron. "There's someone else in that bathroom. He's someone I trust, completely, but the rest of our world doesn't. He's my friend, too, and I don't want you to be afraid of him."

"Dobby is not sure he understands, Harry Potter," he replied slowly.

"Dobby, you trust Professor Dumbledore, right?" The elf nodded. "And you trust Hermione and Ron?" Another nod. "I'm going to ask you to trust me, too, Dobby."

"Dobby trusts Harry Potter! He does!" said Dobby, nodding so hard that his ears flapped back and forth, and Harry worried briefly that he might hurt himself.

"Alright, Dobby. The man in the bathroom is Sirius Black," Harry said, watching as the elf immediately began trembling again. Dobby's green eyes got even larger and his ears drooped.

"Nothing they ever said about him is true, Dobby," said Hermione, kneeling beside Harry. "He was innocent the entire time and he's never tried to hurt Harry. I promise, Dobby."

"I promise, too, Dobby," said Ron, noticing how Dobby calmed ever so slightly at those words.

Dobby looked at Harry. "Harry Potter promises Dobby?" he squeaked quietly.

Harry nodded firmly, looking Dobby in the eye as he would any person. "I promise, Dobby. Sirius is innocent and he's my friend. He's good to me. I would not lie to you," he added, in as serious a tone as he could muster.

The elf visibly relaxed at that. Pulling himself together, he turned to head into the bathroom. Pausing slightly at the door, he overcame his hesitation, squared his little shoulders, and walked up to Jeannie who was still heaving intermittently.

Now, being a pureblood, Sirius had been raised with house-elves. He'd met several of the little creatures and he'd even known a few rather eccentric ones, but the elf standing in his bathroom at that particular moment took the cake. Standing no more than three feet tall, Dobby's ears made up at least eight inches of that, his eyes were three times the size of any snitch Sirius had ever seen and greener that even Harry's, and that was just his physical appearance. His clothes were even stranger.

Clothes! _Real_ clothes! On a house-elf! Dobby was wearing what looked to Sirius to be one of Molly's sweaters (though how he had acquired that, Sirius couldn't fathom) and on his feet were two different socks; one was dark blue with twinkling stars on it and the other was red and white stripes, like a candy-cane. Sharing a look with Remus, Sirius shook his head, deciding to trust the kids and Dumbledore and ask questions later. He could feel Jeannie getting weaker and if this strange elf could help, he needed to do it quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Did you like how Harry handled Dobby? More elves in the next chapter.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	27. A Very Unusual Elf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I know the last chapter ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, so here's the rest.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"Dobby," Dumbledore said, getting the elf's attention. "We believe she was cursed in order to cause a miscarriage, but she was never pregnant. Do you know what curse that might be?"

Dobby thought for a moment, then nodded, his ears drooping again. "There is a curse used by the elves of pureblood families to get rid of any child that is not 'pure'."

"Can you fix it?" asked Sirius, ignoring the way Dobby jumped at his voice.

"D-Dobby will t-try, M-Master Black," he stuttered quietly, keeping his eyes down and his voice quiet.

Sirius winced at the use of his formal title. "Please don't be afraid of me, Dobby," he said gently. "Harry promised you were in no danger here, remember?"

Dobby nodded, but kept his eyes down.

"Sirius is nothing like your former masters, Dobby," Dumbledore said reassuringly.

"Who did you belong to, Dobby?" Sirius asked.

"Harry Potter freed Dobby from the bad Master Malfoy," Dobby said fiercely, looking Sirius in the eye, almost daring him to argue the 'badness' of Lucius Malfoy.

Sirius opened his mouth to ask another question, but Jeannie whimpered, bringing everyone back to the task at hand. "You're in charge, here, Dobby," Sirius said. "Just tell me what you need."

Dobby looked at Sirius strangely for a moment, then got down to business. Taking the words to heart, he ordered Sirius to get Jeannie to lean back so he could access her stomach. Sirius knelt behind Jeannie and spoke softly to her, telling her to lean against him. She was very weak by now, so Sirius wrapped one arm around her chest and the other around her hips and hauled her back onto his lap. He leaned back slightly and pulled her with him, her head dropping to his shoulder. The pain inside her was so bad she didn't even register her raw back stinging at the contact.

Her skin was pale and clammy, her eyes opened but unfocused and her breathing was shallow. Sirius brought his mouth to her ear and whispered encouragement to her. He told her how strong she was, how he was going to take care of her, how beautiful she'd looked the other night... anything he could think of to take her mind off whatever Dobby was going to do. She whimpered again as the elf placed his hands on her stomach. Closing his eyes, Dobby began chanting words Sirius didn't recognize.

Jeannie squirmed as her stomach began to glow blue. Her face screwed up in pain, and she tried to get away from his hands. Sirius held her firm, though, because he could see what Dobby was doing. The little elf seemed to be drawing the curse out of her body, probably the same way it had gone in. The blue glow got brighter and Dobby began moving his hands, almost as if he was trying to mould the light into a ball. This was, in fact, exactly what he was trying to do, and when he was happy with the ball of blue light, he began pulling it out of her stomach.

Jeannie fought harder against Sirius' hold, but one look from Dobby made him grip her even tighter. Unable to find purchase with her hands, Jeannie reached back and grabbed Sirius' shoulders, clawing at them in her pain. Sirius hissed but he took it; whatever she needed to do to get through this was alright with him, even if he ended up with a few scratches. As Dobby pulled the ball of magic out of her stomach, Jeannie's back arched, she let out a pained cry and fainted.

Dobby continued working the ball of light into ever smaller spheres until he was able to contain it completely in his small hands. Clasping his hands together, he closed his eyes and chanted the strange words again. After a moment, the elf's eyes opened again and he sighed heavily, as though the procedure had been almost as taxing on him as it had been on Jeannie. Dobby unclasped his now-empty hands, showing that the curse had been eliminated, then he looked at Sirius.

"Miss will need to be woken," he squeaked tiredly. "Miss will have to eat something, then Miss can rest."

"Can't she rest now and eat when she wakes up?" asked Sirius, eyeing the unconscious woman in his arms.

"No, Master Black," Dobby answered, making Sirius wince again. "Miss needs to eat now. Miss is very weak, and needs strength even to rest. Rest will do Miss no good unless her body is strong to enough to heal while she rests."

"Alright," Sirius said, after a moment. "You're the healer. We'll do as you say." Hooking his arms under her knees and shoulders, Sirius lifted Jeannie and carried her bridal-style back to his bed. Laying her down gently, he arranged the pillows and blankets to make her comfortable.

"Dobby will make food," the little elf said, moving towards the door.

"Oh, no you don't!" said Hermione, standing in his way. "You're going to sit down and rest, Dobby." She grabbed Dobby's hand and led him over to the chair Sirius had stayed in while Jeannie was unconscious the first time. "There's plenty of food here already made. Will chicken soup work?"

Dobby made himself comfortable in the chair and looked up at Hermione with those big green eyes. "Yes, Miss Hermione, chicken soup is good."

Hermione nodded and made to leave to get some soup from Molly, but Remus' voice stopped her.

"Could you pick up that chocolate bar, too, Hermione? The one Alastor brought Jeannie?" he asked. "I believe it's still in the sitting room."

"Sure," she said, and hurried out of the room.

"P-Professor Snape, sir?" Dobby squeaked somewhat nervously.

Snape turned to the elf with his usual sour look. "Yes?" he drawled.

"Miss may need a bit of Pepper-Up potion to stay awake long enough to eat," Dobby said.

Snape turned to Remus. "Does she brew any in her lab here? I don't have any on me."

"Yes, I think so. I'll be right back," Remus replied, heading up to Jeannie's potions lab.

By the time Hermione returned with food and Remus had fetched the Pepper-Up, Dumbledore had conjured chairs for himself and Professor Snape and dismissed Harry and Ron from the room. Hermione set down the food tray and left as well, realizing that she was no longer needed, and once she'd gone, Sirius decided it was time to wake Jeannie. Sitting next to her on the bed, he gently shook her arm, but got no response. Realizing that he was going to have to wake her using magic, he pulled her into a sitting position and slipped onto the bed behind her so she could lean on him while she ate. Pointing his wand at her chest, he said _'Rennervate'._

Jeannie awoke with a gasp, her eyes snapping open and her head whipping around to see who was holding her. Discovering that it was Sirius, she immediately relaxed and tried to close her eyes again, only to be shaken slightly and told she couldn't sleep yet; she had to eat something first. Sirius put the vial of Pepper-Up against her lips and told her to take one sip, no more. Jeannie obeyed mindlessly, not quite capable of putting up an argument. It only took a few moments for the potion to take effect. She wasn't able to sit up on her own, but she could hold her head up and her eyes became more focused and alert.

"How much does she need to eat, Dobby?" Sirius asked, balancing the tray on Jeannie's lap and helping her with the spoon.

"Dobby thinks at least half the bowl, Master Black," the little elf said, sounding as though he could use some Pepper-Up as well.

Sirius sighed. "Please don't call me Master, Dobby," he said, trying to sound gentle and firm at the same time.

"Why not?" Snape sneered. "It is your birthright, after all."

"Because I hate it, that's why," Sirius snarled back. He reigned in his annoyance at Snivellus' presence and turned back to Dobby. "I've always hated the title of 'Master', Dobby. It reminds me of my father. I did not like my father. I don't like that title when my own elf uses it, and since you are not my elf, I see no reason for _you_ to use it," he explained. Sirius didn't particularly like talking about his feelings in front of Snape, but he hated Dobby calling him 'Master' even more.

Dobby gave him that strange look again, the same one he'd given him when Sirius told him that he was in charge in the bathroom. "You is a strange wizard, Sirius Black," he said.

This made Sirius laugh. "So I've been told," he answered, chuckling.

Once it became clear that Jeannie had eaten all of the soup she was going to eat, Sirius broke off a small piece of the chocolate bar and insisted she eat that as well. Remus had long ago convinced Sirius and James that chocolate had healing properties and since neither Snape nor Dumbledore argued against it as he fed it to the woman in his lap, he felt it could do her no harm. Jeannie finished the chocolate and asked if she could sleep now. Sirius looked at Dobby, who nodded, and told Jeannie yes, she could rest now. As if someone had flicked a light-switch, Jeannie's eyes shut and her breathing evened; she was clearly in deep sleep.

Sirius maneuvered her around so he could lay her down properly and covered her with the blankets. Motioning for the others in the room to follow him, he headed to the kitchen. Assuring a rather distraught Molly that Jeannie was going to be just fine, he asked her to go into the sitting room and keep the kids busy, giving the men a chance to talk. When Molly had gone, Sirius turned to Dumbledore.

"Kreacher can no longer stay here, Albus. I want him gone," he said, his tone calm and quiet, but hard enough to show the old wizard that he meant business.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Would you call him, Sirius? I, for one, would like to know exactly what happened."

Sirius resisted rolling his eyes, but just barely. "Kreacher!" he hissed angrily. He already knew what happened - the elf cursed Jeannie. Period. End of story. Hearing it from Kreacher was only going to make him angrier.

A loud _crack_ echoed in the kitchen, and Kreacher appeared next to Sirius, but still far enough out of reach that he couldn't be strangled. The wretched little elf looked at Sirius with pure loathing in his eyes.

"Master called for Kreacher," he rasped, bowing low and ignoring everyone else in the room.

"Yes I did," Sirius said. "I want you to tell me exactly what you did to Jeannie."

Kreacher bowed again, muttering about disappointing sons and serving the House of Black. "Kreacher cursed the whore. Kreacher made her lose the undesirable whelp. Kreacher saved the blood-line."

It took all of Sirius' will-power not to lunge at the house-elf, but he suddenly caught sight of Dobby and calmed himself. Poor Dobby was looking at Sirius as though wondering if Sirius would prove himself to be just as bad as the Malfoys. Taking a few deep breaths, Sirius reminded himself that Dobby had just saved Jeannie's life and he didn't want _that_ elf thinking badly of him after Harry vouched for him.

"Why did you do this, Kreacher?" Dumbledore asked.

Kreacher ignored him.

"Answer him, Kreacher," Sirius ordered.

Kreacher's face twisted into a grimace. "My Mistress ordered me to. Kreacher lives to serve the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

"Your Mistress is dead," Sirius said bluntly. "And good riddance if you ask me."

Kreacher's eyes narrowed and he began muttering curses and insults under his breath.

"Oohh, Kreacher is a bad elf!" said Dobby suddenly, taking everyone by surprise. "Kreacher may not like his Master, but he is bound to serve! Sirius Black is not an evil wizard, no he is not! Not like poor Dobby's former masters! Sirius Black cares about people! People like young Miss upstairs that Kreacher hurt! Kreacher is a bad elf for hurting the guests under his Master's roof!"

"Dobby wears clothes," Kreacher sneered, turning to the other elf. "Dobby has been dismissed. What does Dobby know of being a good elf?"

"Dobby is a free elf," Dobby said proudly, standing on the chair with his ears at attention. "Dobby works for Professor Dumbledore. Dobby likes his work, yes he does, and he likes getting paid for it. It's fair."

Kreacher visibly recoiled at the thought of a house-elf getting paid and Sirius had to shake himself out of his momentary stupor. This Dobby was getting more confusing by the minute and, while he wanted to hear all about this 'paying the house-elf' business, he did not want to spend the rest of the afternoon playing referee to Dobby and Kreacher. Things needed to be settled.

"Alright, alright!" Sirius said loudly, interrupting the insult-hurling elves. "Kreacher, shut up! Dobby, please pipe down for a minute." They obeyed, Kreacher out of duty and Dobby out of politeness. "Kreacher, go up to my mother's bedroom. You are to stay there until I call for you or come get you, do you understand?"

"Yes, Master," Kreacher bowed and disappeared with a crack.

"He cannot stay here, Albus," Sirius said again. "Today it was Jeannie, who's next? Harry? The girls? Remus? Kreacher's been barmy since I can remember, and it's only gotten worse. You heard him - he's taking order's from my dead mother's portrait! If she has her way, we'll all be dead by New Year's."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I quite agree. Dobby, what do you think?" Dobby looked surprised that a wizard as powerful as Albus Dumbledore was asking his opinion on anything, but he quickly recovered, and appeared to think about the question.

"Dobby thinks that perhaps one of the Hogwarts elves could trade places with Kreacher?" he said slowly, his eyes widening as though he had someone in mind, but didn't want to push this idea without permission.

"And do you know of someone, Dobby?" Dumbledore asked politely.

"Yes, sir!" Dobby answered, excited. "Winky, sir!"

"Winky?" Dumbledore asked. "Not yourself, Dobby?"

Dobby shook his head, his ears flapping. "Not Dobby, sir. Meaning no offense, Sirius Black," he added quickly, turning to Sirius, "but Dobby is very happy at Hogwarts, and Dobby can keep an eye on Harry Potter there."

"Quite right," Sirius said, nodding as though he knew what the strange little elf was talking about.

"Hmm, Winky," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Dobby, would you mind going back to the kitchens and speaking to her about this while I speak with Sirius? Only Winky, you understand. Nobody else can know about what has happened today."

Dobby nodded happily. "Yes, Professor, sir - Dobby goes now!" he cried, snapping his fingers and disappearing.

Sirius leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "Would someone like to translate what just happened into English, please?"

Dumbledore chuckled, but gave Sirius the basic rundown on Dobby and Winky. He told Sirius that Dobby used to belong to the Malfoy's, but that it would be better to get the full story from Harry. He also explained about paying the elves.

"If you have any reservations about paying Winky," Dumbledore said, the familiar twinkle back in his eye. "I would suggest speaking to Ms. Granger. I'm sure she could give you a number of reasons why it's the right thing to do."

Sirius _did_ roll his eyes at that. He'd been in the sitting room listening to Hermione's thoughts on creature's rights far too often to be stupid enough to ask her opinion on Winky's salary. Sirius would simply tell her that he was paying the elf, and that the amount was between him and Winky, like any other employer. Contrary to what Hermione thought, Sirius had no real problem with freeing house-elves, he simply disagreed on her way of doing it. In fact, he wasn't even sure that they needed a house-elf, but Dumbledore insisted, saying that headquarters would be a much happier place without so many cobwebs. Sirius felt that nothing could ever make Grimmauld Place _'happy'_ , but he relented. It was more ammunition against Hermione, anyway - he could tell her Dumbledore ordered him to employ an elf.

In the end, Sirius agreed to have Winky come and work for him and he agreed to the 'employment' terms that Dumbledore had been honoring, but he asked that she not come until the kids had gone back to school. There was too much drama going on at the moment and Sirius wanted to be able to give this elf his undivided attention since Dumbledore had told him she'd been having a hard time adjusting to free life. Dumbledore agreed to that and promised to speak to Winky when he got back to the school.

Jeannie awoke later that evening and Sirius was right there, asking if she needed anything. She told him she was hungry, so he got her some soup, watching as she ate slowly as though afraid to put too much back into her stomach. He explained all that had happened that afternoon and told her that he'd sent Kreacher to work in the Hogwarts kitchens since, apparently, he wasn't allowed to kill him. Jeannie laughed at that, then asked Sirius if he would mind making some tea. Of course he didn't mind, so he went down to the kitchen to put together a tray.

When Sirius got down to the kitchen, he found it deserted. Putting the kettle on, he grabbed mugs and teabags while the water boiled. As he was doing this, Max walked into the room. The large man took a seat at the far end of the kitchen and watched Sirius. Feeling eyes on him, Sirius turned to look at Jeannie's 'brother'. The two men sized each other up for a minute.

"What are your intentions with my sister?" Max asked bluntly, taking Sirius by surprise.

"Beg pardon?" Sirius said, his eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hairline. He wasn't really about to have this conversation, was he?

"Come now, Sirius, we are both men of the world. You were locked up a long time, and I don't suppose the dating opportunities have been plentiful since your escape," Max said.

Sirius didn't like the sound of that. "I'm not sure I quite understand you, Max," he said, his voice flat.

"I'll make myself plain, then. I don't want to see my sister used to - how do the English say it? - _scratch an itch_ ," he explained.

Sirius took a deep breath and reminded himself that he had no right to be offended by that. "I can appreciate that, Max, but you should know that whatever happens between us, I do genuinely care for Jeannie and I would not use her like that. No matter what reputation I might have had at one time, I am not and have never been that sort of bastard," he said honestly.

Max smiled. "I meant no offense, Sirius. You must understand - Jeannie is my only true family - I have a right to be protective," he said.

"I understand, Max," Sirius said, and he did. Sirius understood completely the bond formed by one's chosen family.

"My sister seems to think that you're worth it," Max said, getting up and walking towards Sirius. "Don't give me reason to think otherwise." He fixed the dark-haired wizard with a hard look. "That stick of yours is no insurance. It would be very easy to take it from you."

Sirius instinctively clutched his wand tighter. "I'll do my best," he said truthfully.

"Of course you will," Max said in a much lighter tone, moving past Sirius and out of the kitchen. "It would be impossible to do any better than your best."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: House-elves are too funny, aren't they?
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	28. Belated Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Just a head's up - there is talk about tampons in this chapter. It's humorous, not graphic, but I thought I'd warn you before hand in case it grosses you out :) Other than that, I tried to make this a relatively light chapter. We've had some dark times, so I thought we could all use a break.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Since Jeannie and Arthur had been injured and incapacitated for Christmas Day, the occupants of Grimmauld took a vote and decided that the opening of presents could wait until everyone could be there. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long. Arthur was healing nicely and was ready to be brought home on the 28th of December, and once Jeannie had rested and eaten innumerable bowls of chicken soup a la Molly (and conned Sirius into giving her a back-rub twice a day under the guise of applying the healing salve to her skin), she was feeling much better as well. So, on the morning of December 29th, everyone gathered in Grimmauld's sitting room and the twins took over handing out gifts.

Predictably, everyone had gotten Remus chocolate, and Hermione's pile looked to be all books. A book-shaped object landed in Ginny's pile as well, and she naturally moved it to Hermione's, but Hermione moved it back, showing Ginny that her name was on it. Ginny took it back and recognized Sirius' handwriting. She looked at him and he smiled at her. Ginny opened the package, confused, but that soon turned into joy when she saw the title of the book. _The Harrowing History of the Holyhead Harpies_ was spelled out in gold lettering above a picture of the all-women team's current players. Ginny grinned broadly at Sirius who winked back at her.

Everyone had gotten a new Weasley sweater as well, including Sirius, Remus and Max. The only sore spot that morning was when Percy sent back his sweater. Molly had, of course, burst into tears the minute she'd opened the package, but everyone was quick to comfort her - the twins going so far as to propose changing the _'P'_ on the sweater to a _'D'_ , shrinking it slightly and sending it to Dobby. He had saved Jeannie's life, after all. It was such an unexpectedly good and kind idea that Molly had agreed to it as soon as she'd stopped crying over it, and that's what they did.

Jeannie had bought Arthur a Zippo cigarrette lighter, and everyone had a great time watching Arthur play with his new Muggle toy. He'd flick it open, jump in shock at the flame, drop it on the blanket covering his lap, let out a yelp, then pick it up and do it again with the enthusiasm of a child playing with a box of matches. Finally, Molly had to take it away from him in order to stop him from burning down the house.

"We got you a present too, Sirius," said one of the twins, sharing a look with his brother.

"You got me a present?" Sirius repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," they said together.

"And we hope you like it - "

"Because it took forever to think of something you might like."

"Is that so?" Sirius asked, his eyes darting from one twin to the other as if watching a tennis match.

"Yes, Fred and I were thinking - " George began.

"What do you get the man who has everything?" finished Fred.

"Everything?" said Sirius.

"Well, you've got lots of money - " said Fred.

"And your own house - " said George.

"And mum to cook for you - "

"And a beautiful girlfriend - " they flashed Jeannie a smile and a wink.

Sirius smirked at the boys.

"And then it hit us - "

"Bongos!" they said together, producing a small set of bongo drums and offering them to Sirius.

The room went silent as Sirius took the bongos from Fred and George and set them on his lap, admiring the instrument. Finally, after a close perusal, he looked up at Remus, a wicked grin on his face as the rest of the household looked on with horror.

"Oh, _no_ ," Remus said, memories of Sirius' teenage love of all things that made annoying noises coming back to him as he recognized the gleam of mischief in the raven-haired man's eye.

"Look, Moony - bongos!" Sirius crowed gleefully, pointing to them unnecessarily.

Remus calmly placed his cup of tea on the coffee table and fixed Sirius with a stare. "Sirius, if you wake me up at two o'clock in the morning by coming into my room and playing bongos, there will be consequences," he said, matter-of-factly.

Sirius answered by playing a short solo on the drums, bobbing his head up and down and grinning stupidly at his friend, making the room laugh.

"Sirius," Jeannie said, getting his attention. He turned to her and played his bongos at her to show her he was listening. "If you wake me up at two o'clock in the morning by playing bongos, there will be no nookie."

Sirius turned back to Remus who gave a long-suffering sigh. She'd just played the trump card. Any threat Remus came up with would never beat witholding sex, so it looked like he was going to be getting very little sleep until Sirius got tired of the bongos. Perhaps he'd set a shocking charm on his door handle to zap Sirius if he tried getting in...

* * *

It didn't take long for the sweaters Molly had made everyone to vanish for the rest of the day. After the debacle over Percy's, Harry had run across Molly while grabbing a snack from the kitchen and, having been wearing his sweater at the time, was immediately set upon by the still-emotional matriarch. She'd pulled him into a bone-crushing hug and proceeded to cry all over him while attempting to straighten his hair, and he'd only gotten away when Remus walked in and gently but firmly pried the poor boy loose from her boa-constrictor-like grip. Harry had stripped off the sweater as soon as he was back in the sitting room and Remus had advised the rest of the house to do the same.

"Yeah, the last thing Harry needs is another emotional female," said Ron, grinning at his friend and getting a glare in return.

This piqued Sirius' interest. " _Another_ emotional female? Have you somehow become besieged by them at school, son?" he asked, chuckling at the dark look on his godson's face. "Are they wanting to comfort you after facing the big, bad Dark wizard last year?"

"There are a few of those, but Ron's talking about Cho," Ginny answered, earning herself a glare.

"Cho?" Sirius repeated, now very interested. "Who's Cho?"

"Cho Chang," Hermione provided with a smirk.

"Oohh, oriental girl," Sirius purred. "Let me guess, beautiful slanted eyes, long shiny black hair - "

"And a Scottish accent," said one of the twins, making Harry hang his head, clearing wishing to disappear.

"Scottish accent?" Sirius laughed. "Huh, I've never had an oriental girl with a Scottish accent. Bet it's sexy."

"She's also a year older," said the other twin. "And she plays Quidditch."

"Alright, that's enough," said Harry testily. "Yes, I'm dating Cho Chang, yes she's oriental with a Scottish accent, and yes she plays Quidditch, but if I'm honest things would be a lot better if she wasn't crying all the time."

"Crying? What the hell have you been doing to her, mate?" Sirius asked.

"It's not me!" Harry said, indignant.

"Harry's right," Hermione interjected, "Cho dated Cedric Diggory last year. They were still together when he died. She obviously hasn't gotten over it."

"Diggory? Amos Diggory's son, the one who got killed?" Sirius clarified, and Hermione nodded.

"Lunchtime!" Molly announced from the doorway, and everyone got up and followed her back to the kitchen. Everyone, that is, except Harry and Sirius. Sirius could tell the boy was more worried about the 'Cho' situation than he was letting on, so he let the others go ahead and stayed behind for a little man-to-man chat. Harry looked up when everyone else was gone and gave Sirius a half-smile. Sirius left his chair and joined Harry on the floor.

"I know she's still hung up on Cedric, it's just - ," Harry began, chewing his bottom lip. "I've liked her for ages!"

Sirius nodded in understanding. "And now she seems to be liking you back. I understand. But here's the problem - if she's still that attached to the other guy, even though he's gone and out of the picture, she'll never be able to give you the attention you deserve. And, you'll never be able to be the boyfriend she wants, because she'll always be comparing you to him."

"Cho's really nice, Sirius. I don't think she'd do that," Harry said, frowning.

"I'm sure she is, Harry. And I'm not saying that she would do that on purpose; it would be subconscious. She wouldn't mean to, it would just happen," Sirius said, trying to explain. "Something like _'Oh, you like this candy, Cedric did, too'_ , and things like that. Little things that she probably wouldn't realize and would argue with you about it if you brought it up, but it would still happen."

"So what do I do?" Harry asked, truly lost.

Sirius chuckled. "These are treacherous waters, Harry," he said, "but my advice would be to remember what I said and pay close attention when you get back to school. Trust your instincts, and you'll know what to do. If it's right, then it'll be right no matter what, but if it's wrong, you won't be able to force it, and if you try, it may blow up in your face."

Harry nodded, then looked as though he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if he should. Sirius raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is Jeannie right for you?" Harry asked, turning red again. Sirius laughed.

"Jeannie and I are right... right now," Sirius said, not really sure how to explain his relationship with her to a teenage boy with no experience. "I suppose that's part of my point. Jeannie and I are together despite the fact that I did nothing to encourage her and she did nothing to encourage me. We just... are."

"I don't understand," Harry said, cocking his head to the side.

"No, I don't suppose you do. It's not something I can explain, though. That's something that only comes with experience," Sirius said with a sigh. "Come on, let's eat." He helped Harry up and put an arm around his shoulders, leading him out of the sitting room to join the others in the kitchen.

"Do try to at least get one good snog out of it before it goes to shit," Sirius advised a now furiously blushing Harry. The boy ducked his head in embarrassment as Sirius laughed.

"That's already been taken care of," Harry said sheepishly.

"Excellent!" Sirius crowed proudly.

"Not excellent," Harry countered. "She was crying then, too."

At this Sirius burst out laughing, clapping Harry on the shoulder in commiseration and didn't stop laughing until they'd reached the kitchen and Harry begged him to shut up. Molly looked at the pair suspiciously, but Sirius explained that they were having 'man-talk', and that they weren't going to tell her what it was about because it was - well - 'man-talk'. The mother of six boys just rolled her eyes and ordered them to sit down, putting a full plate in front of each of them and telling them to do something productive with their mouths and eat.

* * *

"Hermione, you got a quill in here?" asked Ron, grabbing Hermione's bag and rooting through it. After lunch, they had all gone back to the sitting room to play games and finish the homework they were supposed to have already done.

"Ron!" hissed Sirius. "Get out of her bag!"

"What? Why? I need a quill."

"You don't go through girls' bags, mate," Sirius explained quietly, trying to get the idiot boy out of Hermione's things before she noticed he was in there.

"Why not?" Ron asked, truly not understanding.

"Because you're likely to find something you wish you hadn't," said Remus.

"I'm just looking for a quill - hey, what's this?" he said, pulling out a tampon and frowning when Sirius and Remus groaned.

"Ronald!" Hermione shouted, finally turning around. "What are you doing in my bag!?"

"I was looking for a quill! What is this thing, anyway?" he asked, turning the tampon in his fingers as though trying to unlock it's secrets.

Hermione stomped over to him, red-faced, and snatched it out of his hands. "It's nothing you need to know about! It was in my bag and you had no business going through it!"

"I wasn't going through your bag, I was just looking for a quill!" Ron shouted back.

"Well, find your own!"

"My bag's upstairs, yours is right here!"

"Okay! Enough!" Jeannie interrupted, seeing that Hermione was on the verge of tears due to embarrassment. "Hermione, come sit beside me," she said, patting the spot next to her on the sofa.

Hermione sat down but continued to glare at Ron.

"Now, give me this," Jeannie said, holding out her hand. Hermione handed her the tampon without looking at her. "Thank you. Now, Ron -" she began, waiting for the boy to look at her, " - you want to know what this is?" she asked, smirking as the men groaned again and winking at Hermione, who looked a little confused.

"Yeah, that's all I was asking," Ron answered, unwittingly playing right into Jeannie's hands.

"Well, I'll tell you," she said pleasantly. "This is called a tampon. Have you ever heard of a tampon?"

Ron shook his head.

"No? Well, a tampon is something that girls like Hermione and myself and Tonks and even your sister use while we're on our periods," Jeannie said factually, watching Ron's face go from confusion to horror and settle finally on mortification. Jeannie unwrapped the tampon, ignoring Sirius and Remus, who had each grabbed a book and placed them over their faces.

Jeannie held up the now-unwrapped tampon and looked at Ron. "And this is how it works!" she said and, before anyone could stop her, Jeannie pushed the center part of the tampon through the outer shell and gave Ron a small lesson in the facts of life.

The colour drained from Ron's face, but he seemed to be the only one adversely affected. The men in the room had, of course, come across a tampon or two in their time, the twins looked slightly uncomfortable but not emotionally scarred, and even Harry seemed to be enjoying Ron's humiliation more than worrying about his own embarrassment.

"I'm very sorry I went through your bag and I'll never do it again," said an ashen Ron, unable to meet Hermione's eye as he stood on unsteady legs and headed out of the room. They could hear his mother in the hall ask him where he was going and they heard him tell her that he was going up to his and Harry's room to find his quill.

"Hmm," said Hermione, after a moment's silence. "Humiliation works better than yelling. Who'd have thought?" She spoke thoughtfully, but her cheeks were still pink.

Sirius chuckled and pulled the book off his face. "Don't worry about it, kitten. When there are lovely young ladies around, one will occasionally stumble upon a tampon. It happens. And teenage boys have to learn sometime that they can no longer go into their mates' bags if that mate happens to be a teenage girl. We've all done it once," he lamented, Remus nodding in agreement.

"What did you find in a girl's bag, Sirius?" Harry asked.

Sirius grinned. "Werewolf porn," he said, making Remus' head snap up.

"Wha- ? Awww, not this again!" Remus groaned, burying his head in his book again.

"Werewolf porn!?" Tonks exclaimed, matching her cousin's grin. "I'm intrigued!"

"It was in our sixth year," he began, ignoring Remus' pained whine. "I reached into Mary McDonald's book-bag looking for... d'you know, I think I needed a quill... anyway, instead of a quill, I came across one of those trashy romance novels! And what do you think was on the cover?"

"Padfoot, _please_!" Remus begged.

"Was it a naked Remus?" Jeannie asked, making the room laugh as Remus shouted "No!".

"Unfortunately, no. But there was a heavily scarred, shirtless, muscly man under the title _'My Moon's Desire'_!" Sirius said, shooting a dopey grin at Remus who was glaring back murderously.

"That's not the worst part," Remus said when the cackling died down. "The worst part was Sirius stealing the book and reading it to me under his breath during class and me ending up in detention for breaking his nose." He looked at Sirius. "Was that the first or second time I broke your nose that year?" he asked.

Sirius thought about it. "Second," he decided. "The first time was when I deliberately walked in on you and Ellie Moran in that broom closet on the sixth floor."

"That's right," Remus said, nodding. "I clocked you good for that one."

"Yes, you did," Sirius agreed. "Although, I suspect I did you a favor that night."

"How's that?"

"I heard Ellie talking to her friends about it the next day. She seemed to think punching me in the nose was a very _manly_ thing to do," Sirius said.

"Oh, _thank you_ , Padfoot," Remus said, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "But I still couldn't look Mary in the eye for months, and I doubt she ever knew why."

"She was convinced you liked her and was just too shy to do anything about it," Sirius said, with a crooked grin.

"And you, of course, told her that wasn't true," Remus replied, raising an eyebrow.

"And take away her favorite naughty daydream? Never!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Poor Ron. Poor poor Ron.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	29. A New Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I had sooo much fun writing the last chapter, and I'm glad you all enjoyed it! This one was a lot of fun, too, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it :) 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling. I also don't own Bad Company or Grand Funk Railroad.

The morning of New Year's day dawned beautiful and peaceful at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The occupants of Number 12, having exhausted themselves with the festivities of the night before, were quite content to stay warm and asleep until at least noon. All except for one, that is.

At precisely 8:37 am on the morning of January 1st, the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix was awoken by the sound of the Muggle rock band _Bad Company_ being blasted through the house, followed shortly by the shrieks of one Mrs. Walburga Black. Remus Lupin, resident werewolf, was soon heard charging down the stairs toward the source of the ruckus only to find a surprisingly alert and cheerful Sirius Black standing in front of his mother's portrait with a pile of bricks beside him and a bucket of mortar in his hand. An old record player sat off to the side.

"PADFOOT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Remus bellowed, his hair disheveled from sleep and his head beginning to throb from the noise and a slight hangover.

"WHAT?" Sirius answered, his head cocked to the side in order to hear his friend.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Remus tried again, this time getting through.

"A BIT OF FAMILY THERAPY!" Sirius shouted back.

"AH!" said Remus, after a moment. "OKAY!"

Remus turned and headed into the kitchen, not really capable of arguing the point until he'd had a cup of coffee and a hangover potion. Finding the potion in the cupboard under the sink like usual, he drank it down, immediately feeling the effects, then went to work on making coffee. He was soon joined by Molly who seemed to be having a hard time restraining herself from hexing the raven-haired wizard in the front hall.

"What on Earth does that man think he's doing?" she demanded, hands on her hips and glaring at Remus as though it was his idea.

"I honestly don't know, Molly. He just said 'family therapy'. I thought it best not to question him yet," Remus said.

"What is all that racket?" Hermione asked, entering the kitchen with Ginny, the boys not far behind.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Remus said, sitting down with a steaming mug. "I've made coffee."

"And I love you for it," said Tonks, stumbling in and heading straight for the coffee pot. "If I'd known he was going to wake us up at this ungodly hour, I wouldn't have bought all that shit for him."

"Hmm? You bought Sirius bricks and mortar? What for?" Remus asked, now truly confused.

"Well, I don't know, do I? He wouldn't tell me. Just gave me a list a couple of days ago and asked me to pick a few things up for him," Tonks said, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"He's building a wall to brick in his mother's portrait," said Jeannie from the doorway. All heads turned her way.

"You knew about this?!" Remus asked, incredulous.

"I didn't know he was going to make a spectacle of it on New Year's morning and wake us all up, but yeah, I knew about it," she said.

"I suppose New Year's fits," said Tonks thoughtfully. "New year, new beginnings and all that."

"So this is his big idea for getting rid of Mrs. Black?" Hermione asked.

"Actually this was my idea," Jeannie said. " _His_ idea was to turn into Padfoot, lift his leg and take a big piss on her. He thought that might shock her into silence."

"I'm glad you talked him out of that," Remus said. "But you really should have known he would make a 'spectacle' of it. Making spectacles is one of Sirius' favorite pastimes."

Jeannie just shrugged and shook her head.

"Couldn't he have at least picked less offensive music?" Molly asked rhetorically, as the lyrics to _Feel Like Making Love_ wafted in from the hall.

"Actually, Molly," said Remus, snickering. "In terms of Sirius' musical tastes, this is about as tame as you get."

"Where did he get the music, anyway?" asked Jeannie.

"I nicked it from your place," Tonks replied.

Jeannie snorted, then took out her wand and conjured herself two pairs of earmuffs. Putting one pair on, she grabbed the other pair, poured two cups of coffee (one for her and one for Sirius), and made her way to the front hall. Sirius was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of his mother's portrait, bobbing his head to the music and completely ignoring Walburga's tantrum. The bucket of mortar was in front of him and he had what looked to be a Muggle home-improvement guide in his hand, showing him the correct was to mix the mortar and how to check it's consistency.

He was so engrossed in his manual, he didn't sense Jeannie walk up to him, and started violently when she nudged his arse with her foot. He smiled broadly at her when she handed him his coffee and mouthed 'thanks, love' when she placed the ear muffs over his ears. She hadn't made them completely sound poof, just muffled them enough so that he could still hear his music without bursting his ear drums. Leaning down, she gave him a swift kiss on the lips, turned his manual over (since he'd been reading it upside-down), then took a seat on the stairs to watch the master at work.

By the time lunch rolled around, Sirius had erected nearly three feet of brick wall. He'd summoned one of the chairs from the kitchen, transfigured it into a stool and was steadily moving higher and higher up his mother's portrait, making the stool taller at regular intervals. The kids and Remus had joined Jeannie in 'Sirius watching', and there was now a group of chairs at the foot of the stairs and cushions on the stairs themselves so that everyone was comfortable. Remus had convinced Sirius to turn the music down some so that the walls would stop vibrating to the bass, and Jeannie had never seen Sirius in such a good mood.

The handsome fugitive sat on his stool, bobbing is head to the music and occasionally singing along, completely unperturbed by the foul insults coming from his mother. Every nasty comment thrown his way was swiftly answered by a suggestive song lyric, which only served to infuriate Walburga further. It was truly a sight - Sirius on his stool, trowel in hand, happily slapping mortar in between layers of brick and the painting slowly getting swallowed by the new wall. Bits of mortar had landed on his clothes and some had even traveled into his hair in his enthusiasm.

"Moony," Sirius called over the music.

"Hmm?"

"Make me a sandwich, will you?"

"Sure," Remus replied, putting down his own sandwich to make one for Sirius. They had brought a small table into the front hall in order to have lunch there so they could watch the wall's progress and filled it with chips, crackers, sandwich makings, pumpkin juice and butterbeer. Slapping together a sandwich, Remus levitated it up to Sirius, who put down his trowel momentarily to take a bite.

"Fanks," Sirius said, his mouth full of food. Remus also charmed a bottle of butterbeer to hover near Sirius as the raven-haired man, having exhausted Jeannie's collection of _Bad Company_ , started singing along with _Grand Funk Railroad_.

Arthur had, of course, found the entire situation irresistible and had spent a good couple of hours looking through Sirius' home-improvment manual and asking questions about everything from what the bricks are made of to how long it took the mortar to set to what the mortar itself was made of. He'd even asked to have a go with the trowel, which Sirius agreed to, and promptly covered himself with the binding agent. Molly had only to raise a single eyebrow at him before he handed the tool back to Sirius and followed his wife into the kitchen to clean up. This Sirius found highly amusing.

It took the rest of the afternoon and the early part of the evening for Sirius to finish his wall, but he stayed happy and cheerful throughout the process. The same could not be said about his mother, however, who continued to rant and rave and insult anyone within her eyesight, particularly Sirius. It got worse once she realized what was going on. Having nothing but contempt for anything and everything Muggle, it wasn't until Sirius (rather gleefully) explained to her exactly what he was doing that she put two and two together and understood the presence of the bricks and mortar.

* * *

Late that night, after everyone had eaten and gone to bed, Sirius and Jeannie headed up to his bedroom. He was still caked in mortar and brick dust, so he gave Jeannie a kiss and told her he was going to take a quick shower before climbing into bed. They'd been sharing a bed since Jeannie's mishap at Malfoy Manor, but Sirius had stayed a gentleman the whole time, mindful of her injuries. It hadn't been too difficult - after all, he had always preferred his companions to be conscious and not in pain. Today, however, Jeannie had seemed vibrant and healthy for the first time in at least a week, and on top of wanting to wash off the construction dirt, Sirius thought that a nice wank in the shower would do him a lot of good.

Sirius took his time in the shower, almost wanting her to be asleep by the time he got out, and when he stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his waist, he felt sure he'd succeeded. He was wrong. Jeannie had watched him walk into the bathroom, had listened to the water turn on, had heard his breathing change as he pleasured himself, and had decided that she wanted release as well. She had originally planned to seduce him on Christmas, but she'd ended up bloody and unconscious, so she felt the first day of the new year was the next best thing. _Way to start the year off right_ , she thought.

Sirius used his wand to dry his hair, opened the bathroom door and stopped dead in his tracks. The lamps in his room had been dimmed, but only enough to enhance the beauty of the naked woman sitting in the middle of his bed. Sirius blinked and, despite having had a very nice orgasm not ten minutes before, felt himself harden again at the vision. Jeannie sat in the very middle of his bed, her legs in front of her but bent at the knee, her back straight and her hair tousled slightly. Sirius' mouth watered as they looked at each other.

"You took your time," she said, her voice husky.

"Sorry," he croaked.

"That's alright, you can make it up to me," she replied, extending her hand in his direction and beckoning him. Sirius closed the distance between them before he even realized he'd moved. Standing beside his bed, he watched in wonder as Jeannie raised herself onto her knees and faced him.

"How's your back?" he asked her, his eyes hungry as they traveled over her flawless skin.

"Not sore at all," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing him down for a kiss. He went willingly, parting her lips and slipping his tongue inside to duel with hers. She gave as good as she got, neither dominating nor surrendering, and it only served to fuel his fire. Sirius ran his hands down her sides to her hips and around to grip her arse and pull her closer. When she was flush against him, she could feel his hardness and she ground into it. Sirius groaned into her mouth and broke the kiss.

His eyes searched hers. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly. "I know it sounds stupid, but I need to hear it. I need to hear that you want me - here, now, like this."

Jeannie took his face in her hands. "I want you, Sirius Black, right here, right now, any way and every way that I can have you," she said, slowly and deliberately.

"That'll do," he said, swooping in again. He bucked against her when he felt her hands pulling his towel away. It dropped to the floor and they were skin to skin completely for the first time. Sirius felt as though he needed more hands, he wanted to feel all of her at once and she apparently felt the same, rubbing her body against his like a cat - he even thought he heard her purr, though that could have been his imagination.

For her part, Jeannie was in heaven. There was no denying Sirius was a man. Hard angles, strong muscles, and large hands that were sure to leave the most delicious bruises in the morning. She loved it - the way he growled when she ran a hand down his chest and flicked a nipple, his goatee scratching her neck as he nuzzled and nibbled his way down to her shoulder, the way he bit down on her shoulder when she wrapped her fingers around his erection.

Finally, it was too much. Jeannie fell back against the bed and brought Sirius down with her. They playfully tangled themselves together for a while before Sirius found himself kneeling between her legs and gazing down at her. She looked strong, but soft and so... _welcoming_. There was no judgement in her gaze, only acceptance and desire.

"Have you set up a silencing charm?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Locking charm?"

Another nod.

"Contraception charm?"

Nod.

"Devious little minx."

Nod and smirk.

"You know I'm not going to last two minutes."

Laugh. "You're not going to last thirty seconds. Take me," she said, reaching for him again.

Sirius swallowed and lay over her, kissing her again as she ran her fingers through his hair, lightly scratching his scalp. He reached between them and lined himself up, the tip of his cock coming into contact with hot, wet woman for the first time since 1981, then braced himself above her and pushed in. His head dropped to her shoulder as her body yielded to his intrusion and he groaned at the sensation. There was _nothing_ in the world that compared with being inside a woman. She was wet and hot and tight and he grit his teeth against an imminent release.

Jeannie wrapped her arms around him as he panted, enjoying the feel of that first thrust. There was _nothing_ in the world like having a man inside her, especially one like Sirius who literally defined animal magnetism. He was raw and real and uncompromising and she felt a womanly pride at being the one to break his dry spell. Raking her nails down his back, she moaned as he began to move. His thrusts were erratic and sloppy, but filled with passion and need and it fed her arousal.

"Baby, I can't - I have to - _ahhh_ ," he ground out, quickening his pace.

She brought her mouth to his ear. "Take me, Sirius. Take what you need from me," she said, telling him it was okay to lose control.

The words were hardly out of her mouth before the dam broke. Suddenly Sirius was a growling, panting, thrusting animal above her and all she could do was hang on for the ride. Slipping a hand down to where they were joined, she worked herself, her fingers and his cock doing marvelous things to her body. Despite knowing he wasn't going to last long, she wanted to come with him, so she doubled her efforts, rubbing her clit furiously while listening to him chanting sounds of pleasure in her ear.

When he felt her flutter around him the first time, he reared back and locked eyes with her, sweat beading on his forehead and his grey eyes hard as steel as he pounded into her. There was a rushing in his ears, but her moans pierced through it and spurred him on. Looking down, he saw her pleasuring herself and he had to meet her eyes again or he'd come just from that sight alone. It was a good thing that he'd already come once that night, because he was able to hold out longer than thirty seconds, but only just, and it was all her fault.

With a cry, Jeannie threw her head back and arched her body, her cunt clamping down on his cock like a vise and that was it. Sirius bit down hard on her neck as he came, exploding into her hot depths as his hips bucked violently. His whole body seized up, every muscle contracted and he let out a noise that was completely inhuman. He collapsed on top of her as the aftershocks rippled through him, his hips still rocking into her mindlessly, too spent to even roll to the side. Luckily, she was ready for that and, using her skill as an athlete, managed to roll them both over so she was on top while somehow keeping him inside her.

Sirius' arms and legs flopped bonelessly onto the bed making Jeannie chuckle breathlessly against his heaving chest as she flattened herself on top of him and breathed him in. He had been clean after his shower, but now he smelled like sex. Sex and _her_. She liked it.

"Fuck, baby," he said hoarsely, bringing a hand up and running it through her hair. Turning her head, she licked his wrist, tasting the salt of sweat and something else that was entirely Sirius. Kissing the inside of his wrist, she turned her attention back to his chest. Lean and decorated, Sirius Black's chest was a dream. Using her fingers and tongue, she traced a few tattoos, feeling the vibrations as he hummed appreciatively at her actions. Working her way over to a nipple, she circled it, then sucked on it hard, earning a hiss as his fingers tightened in her hair.

"Baby, I would love to accommodate you," he said, "but that's my second time tonight. I'm gonna need a few minutes."

Jeannie lifted her head to look at him. "I know, I'm just enjoying you in the meantime," she said, gently rocking her hips on the softened cock that was still stuffed inside her. It twitched slightly, but nothing more.

Sirius grinned and raised his arms, tucking his hands behind his head. "Be my guest," he said.

"Thank you," she said with a smirk, and went back to her task. She licked and bathed, traced and teased, every so often tightening her inner muscles around him to check his readiness (since she fully intended to have him again that night), and flicking her eyes up to his to see him watching her every move with a predatory gaze. When she'd gotten him hard again, she sat up and began riding him torturously slowly, filling herself again and again and watching his eyes darken with lust as he brought his hands up to play with her breasts, then moved them down to her hips to guide her.

Soon the slow pace wasn't enough, and she started bouncing on him in earnest, chasing her second orgasm. Sirius helped, holding her hips where he wanted them and thrusting up into her on her every downstroke. Sitting up, he braced one hand behind himself while reaching into her hair with the other and pulling her to him for a kiss. She moaned, frustrated, into his mouth, so he flipped them, hooking his arms behind her knees and folding her nearly in half as he set a punishing pace. It was clear to him that this was how she liked it.

"Sirius, uh - " she panted. "Sirius, I'm close... so close... please... "

"Come on, baby," he growled at her. "Come for me!"

And she did. Clamping down on him again, her head thrashed from side to side as she screamed his name. Lights flashed behind his eyes as she pulled his own orgasm from him. Sirius threw his head back and moaned loudly as he rode out the waves of pleasure. Pulling out of her finally, he rolled to the side, bringing her with him and pulling her close. They panted together as they regained their breath, and Sirius stroked her hair, pushing sweat-soaked strands away from her face.

Lifting her head, she kissed him sweetly. He rolled onto his back and tucked her into his side, running his fingers along her shoulder and arm. Her hands traveled all over his torso before wrapping listlessly across his waist as her breathing began to even out. They had successfully exhausted themselves and were only too happy to welcome the sleep that swiftly overtook them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Finally! I know, long time coming, huh?!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	30. Enjoying The Respite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Pure fun and fluff in this chapter!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Sirius woke up the next morning warm, peaceful and deliciously sore. He was warm because he was pressed tightly up against a very beautiful young woman who felt as though she were related to a furnace; he was peaceful because he knew he wouldn't have to tip-toe around his mother today (or any other day, for that matter); and he was sore because he'd spent much of the previous day building his new wall and much of the previous night fucking the daylights out of the afore-mentioned beautiful woman. He felt wonderful... healthy... strong... ready to take on the world. He felt young.

Burying his nose in Jeannie's hair, he inhaled deeply, letting her scent wash over him, relaxing and intense at the same time. A smile crept over his face as he recalled the events of the last several hours. Finding her sitting in the middle of his bed without a stitch of clothing on, Jeannie telling him she wanted him, telling him it was okay to let loose. Her kisses had tasted like freedom and her body had felt like home as he'd thrust into her again and again. _Mmmm..._

They were laying on their sides, Sirius spooning her from behind, so he was in the perfect position exercise all of his senses. He could smell her - a heady mix of Jeannie, sex and himself; he could feel her - every inch of her making contact with him at one point or another; he could taste her - licking a stripe along her shoulder, he savoured her skin; he could see her - her chest rising and falling evenly and a rather large purple bruise on her neck from where he'd bitten her last night as he spilled himself; and he could hear her - quiet little snores that he found absolutely adorable. As he finished his perusal, she began to stir.

Jeannie woke up warm. Warm and secure with a man's arms wrapped around her. She had no idea what time it was, but the sun was beginning to peek in through the curtains. Sirius moved slightly behind her and she could feel his morning erection pressing into her arse. She grinned and ground her hips back against him.

Sirius groaned. "Are you awake?" he asked softly, rolling his hips gently and tightening his arm around her middle.

"Oh, yeah," she breathed, reaching between her legs to guide him into her. She hissed as Sirius' member stretched her and he whimpered.

"Fuck, baby, I thought I'd imagined how tight you are," he moaned into her neck, his mouth hovering over the hickey and sending shivers down her spine.

One of Sirius' arms was pinned under her neck supporting her head, but the other was free to roam. And roam it did. His hand followed the curve of her waist down over her hip, then back up to cup a breast. He kneaded gently for a moment before twisting a nipple. This made her cry out and clench around him. He left her breast and traveled back down her body to slip between her legs. Sirius ran his fingers along her soft lips and felt himself moving in and out, then settled on her sensitive bud.

It didn't take long. The combination of Sirius' talented fingers and the steady thrusting of his cock sent Jeannie over the edge within minutes. Crying out his name, she clenched violently around him, causing him to find his own completion with a low growl. Sirius pulled out of her and wrapped his arm back around her middle as she snuggled into him.

Once she'd caught her breath, she turned in his arms to face him. The early morning sunlight bathed his face and that, combined with the satisfied expression he wore, made him look years younger. Jeannie ran her fingers along his jaw, feeling the stubble there and grinned when he nipped at them as she traced his lips. Hitching a leg around his hips and pulling him even closer, she slipped her hand into his hair and brought his head down for a proper 'good morning' kiss.

"Now _that's_ a wake-up call," he joked, smirking at her.

"Mmm, I finally got you," she said, making him splutter.

" _You_ , finally?! Need I remind you how long it'd been for me?!" he said, incredulous, as she laughed.

"Doesn't matter, we've broken the dry spell," she said. This made Sirius remember his little chat with Max just days earlier.

"You know, Max gave me 'the talk' the other day," he said, gauging her reaction. She looked surprised.

"'The talk'? What, like _'hurt her and you die'_?"

"Mm-hmm, something like that. He said he didn't want me using you just to 'scratch an itch'. Just because I'd been out of commission for a while was not an excuse to pounce on the first available woman. Especially when she was you," he said mildly.

" _'Scratch an itch'?_ ," she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Sirius chuckled. "Yeah. That's not what this is about, by the way," he added, wanting to make his intentions clear.

Jeannie smiled at him. "I know, it's not like that for me, either. But, for the record, I have no problem with scratching," she said slyly, running her nails down his back which was still tender from her clawing the night before. Sirius hissed and arched, his cock twitching yet again from the slight pain. He was by no means a masochist, but Sirius did enjoy a little rough treatment sometimes.

"I've noticed that," he said with a smirk, moving to get up. "I need another shower."

"Go ahead," Jeannie replied, loosening her hold on him. "I need one, too, but I don't want to get up just yet."

Sirius winked at her as he rolled out of bed and stretched. She smiled at him and buried herself deeper into the blankets while watching him walk naked across the room to the bathroom. Closing her eyes, Jeannie listened to the water run. After a few minutes, Sirius reappeared, dressed and went downstairs for breakfast while Jeannie took her turn in the bathroom.

As he exited his bedroom, he saw Ginny coming down the hall, clearly having just woken up. She smiled at him.

"Morning, Sirius," she said through a yawn. Sirius snorted.

"Morning, Gin," he mocked, copying her yawn and making her giggle. "Sleep well?"

She nodded. "I'll bet you're sore," she said.

"Sore?" Sirius repeated, hoping that she hadn't heard his and Jeannie's earlier activities.

"Well, building a wall looked like hard work," Ginny explained. Sirius relaxed.

"Ah - yes, well - a hot shower helped a lot," he answered as the made their way to the stairs. When they reached the landing, though, Ginny stopped him.

"Sirius," she said, laying a hand on his arm. He turned to her. "I've been wanting a word with you," she started, looking a bit nervous.

"What's up, Gin?" he asked, giving her his full attention.

"I just - ," she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, "I wanted to thank you for taking care of me the night we got here. You know, when dad got hurt. I know I was a right mess and I hope I wasn't too annoying about it and, well - thanks."

Sirius laid a hand on her shoulder. "You weren't annoying at all, Ginny. In fact I'd have been surprised if you hadn't acted the way you did. That was a rough night for all of us and, if I'm honest, taking care of you helped me get it through it, too," he said, giving her a small smile.

Ginny smiled back and gave him a hug. When she pulled away, they continued down the stairs, following the smell of sausages. Three steps before the bottom of the stairs, though, Sirius stopped, then jumped them, landing loudly in the front hall, and looked to his new wall that hid his mother's portrait. Reveling in the silence, he looked back at Ginny and grinned widely at her, clearly pleased with himself. She laughed and shook her head.

"You're going to be doing that from now on, aren't you?" she asked, coming to stand next to him.

"Probably," he answered happily, throwing an arm around her shoulder and steering them into the kitchen.

By the time Jeannie made it downstairs for coffee and breakfast, everyone else was up and running. Tonks had already left for work, but Max had arrived and taken her place at the kitchen table. When Jeannie walked in, Molly was trying to convince him to have a few more sausages. Chuckling to herself, she moved to sit between Sirius and Arthur, wondering how long she'd remain unnoticed. Not long, as it turned out.

"Jeannie, dear, you're looking much better today," Molly gushed, coming over to get a better look. Sirius snorted quietly beside her and Jeannie was suddenly very happy she'd had the presence of mind to cover up Sirius' love bite.

"Yes," Remus agreed, looking at Jeannie, then at Sirius (who was trying - and failing - to keep the shit-eating grin off his face), then back at Jeannie. "She's positively glowing." He gave them a knowing smile.

Jeannie rolled her eyes and childishly stuck her tongue out at him. Sirius saw this and decided it was an appropriate response.

"Yeah," he said, sticking his tongue out at Remus as well, making everyone laugh as it was much funnier when he did it.

* * *

 

The next several days were spent completely ignoring the outside world. The occupants of Grimmauld Place knew they were safe in their cocoon and with the absence of Walburga, the house was almost tolerable. Almost. Jeannie still occasionally caught Sirius frowning at one of the paintings or scowling at the elf heads mounted in the hall, but having Harry around and the nightly romps between the sheets (and again in the morning) had done wonders for his mental state.

The day before the kids were due back at Hogwarts, Molly wanted to have a bit of a party. It had been a rather rough holiday and she felt that some good food and a few laughs were what everyone needed. Jeannie agreed, and she asked Sirius if she could use the formal dining room. When he asked why, she said that she wanted to show the kids a few tricks that she and Max used to do in the circus and that room was perfect. Jeannie had told them that she would show them what she used to do before the summer holidays ended, but she hadn't had the opportunity. Now that she was healed (mostly), she wanted to get back into her workout routine and it would be fun to demonstrate her skills.

"Okay," said Max a few days later, once he and Jeannie had gotten the dining room set up the way they wanted, "here's how this works. I am going to climb up that ladder and start swinging on that trapeze. One of you girls is going to climb up the opposite ladder and swing on _that_ trapeze. Now, when I tell you to, you're going to let go of your trapeze and I'm going to catch you. Okay?" He was looking at Ginny and Hermione who were staring back at him as though he'd just suggested that they throw themselves into the Black Lake and go diving with the giant squid. Max laughed at their faces and turned to Jeannie.

"I don't know, Max, I thought they were Gryffindors," she said, playing along and shrugging her shoulders. "How about we demonstrate first?"

Max nodded seriously. "Good idea. Then maybe when they see how easy it is, they'll want a turn," he said, winking at the girls who immediately shook their heads.

"There's really not much to it," Jeannie said as she started up her ladder. They'd magically expanded the room to fit the contents of a trapeze show and had set up their actual rigging along with the safety net, just in case. Neither Jeannie nor Max had fallen in years, but the net was the easiest and quickest way down from the trapeze. "All you really have to do is what Max said, swing until he tells you, then fall and let him catch you. He does all the work."

The people on the ground watched in awe as Jeannie and Max hoisted themselves onto what looked like children's swing sets attached to the ceiling and began swinging towards each other. When they had achieved a speed and height they were happy with, Max shouted and Jeannie let go, only to find herself a moment later swinging from Max's arms. They swung together for a bit, then Max suddenly let go of her, and she pirouetted back to her own trapeze.

"Okay," Jeannie teasingly called down when she'd returned to her ladder. "Who's next?"

"Come on, Tonks," said Max when nobody stepped forward. "I know you want your turn."

"Aww, I don't remember how to do it!" Tonks whined, but started up the ladder anyway.

"What!?" Sirius said, grinning at his cousin. " _You_ can do _that_?"

"Not really," she admitted, "but Max is really good at catching."

"Yeah, and Tonks is really good at falling," Max added.

"Shut up, Max!"

"Oh, this I _have_ to see," Sirius said, moving to the edge of the room to get a better view. Sure enough, Tonks _could_ actually do some acrobatics. Not much, but it was clear that this was something they'd done before. Jeannie looked on as Tonks threw herself at Max, literally, and Max teased her about being more stable in the air than she was on the ground.

"Aren't you supposed to be an Auror, Tonks?" Max asked as he swung the pink-haired witch high in the air.

"What's that got to do with anything?" she answered testily.

"Well, aren't you supposed to avoid being in situations where you could be taken advantage of?" he said, and Tonks suddenly cursed her forgetfulness. It had been so long since she'd played on the trapeze that she'd forgotten that 'taking advantage' was Max's favorite sport when fifty feet off the ground. She looked up to see him grinning at her.

"Max," she said warningly, just as he pulled her up so they were face-to-face and started peppering kisses all over her face. Tonks squealed and kicked and she could hear Jeannie laughing at her from somewhere behind her. "Uhg! You are such an arsehole!"

Max laughed and pulled back. "Does that mean you want to get down?" he asked with a grin, but she knew he would never let go of her until she told him she was ready.

"I hate this part," she said, making a face at him.

"I know. You tell me when," he replied.

Tonks took a deep breath, then looked at him and nodded. Max loosened his grip and she slipped from his hands and fell down to the net with a small scream. Climbing across the net toward Sirius, she reached out to him and he helped her down. Taking a moment to get her legs back to walking on solid ground, she told the room to watch the acrobats dismount. Jeannie and Max were now swinging in tandem, and when they were happy with their momentum, they leapt off their trapezes and flipped twice, then straightened out and fell to the net.

The room applauded as the two climbed to the edge of the net and scrambled off. Most of the house had never seen a circus before, so anything Jeannie and Max did looked like a new form of magic to them. Jeannie grabbed her wand and started clearing away the rigging while Molly began steering them all to the kitchen for dinner.

"I still can't believe you can do some of that," Sirius said to Tonks, who gave him the finger.

"I'm not completely hopeless, you know," she said.

"I know, just mostly hopeless," he said, earning a swat.

Molly, as usual, had prepared a feast. Everyone's favorites were on the table and they all took turns fighting over each dish. The house was full of life and laughter and Jeannie noticed that Sirius was clearly in his element. He joked and teased, his bark-like laughter echoing through the room as he made the girls blush at some dirty joke or suggestive comment. He even managed to find himself facing the business end of Molly's wand on two separate occasions that night. Sirius had simply given her his most charming smile and kissed her on the cheek, ignoring her glare.

After supper and after everyone had gone home or up to bed, he and Jeannie made their way back up to his bedroom but, to her surprise, he didn't want to have sex that night. Pulling her close, he wrapped his arms around her and snuggled in, simply enjoying the feeling of her in his bed next to him. Caressing his back as he fell asleep, Jeannie smiled to herself. She'd seen him at his lowest over the summer, but now she'd seen him at his highest too, and she liked what she saw even more. As she drifted off, she thought to herself that they were going to have to figure out a way to get him free.

She didn't have the slightest clue how she was going to do that, but she was going to find a way. She was a Ravenclaw, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I'm passing 100,000 words with this chapter and I can't believe it! I had the outline of this story done before I posted chapter 1, but I never thought that when I fleshed it out it would turn into such a complex story. And we're still in OotP! We will be jumping ahead some in the next few chapters. Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who've followed, favorited, and reviewed me - I appreciate each and every one of you, and am always happy to hear from you!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	31. Back To Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: We really are getting back to business with this chapter.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

It was going to be a difficult day. An Order meeting had been scheduled for the evening (the first since Jeannie's injury) and she would undoubtedly be asked to relate the events of that night. Also, she wanted to talk to Sirius and Remus _before_ that happened because she didn't want Sirius storming from the room in a rage thinking that it had somehow been his fault since it was his cousin who'd done the damage or Remus acting as though it was _his_ fault because it had been his scent that had tipped off Greyback. Before any of that, however, they had to send the kids back to school.

That, Jeannie thought, may end up being the hardest thing any of them did that day. She knew seeing Harry leave was weighing on Sirius - to the point that he didn't even want to have sex the night before like usual. He'd been so happy to have his godson with him, and going back to the way things had been before the Christmas holidays was, Jeannie knew, completely unappealing to him. She was going to have to work extra hard to take his mind off things now, but she hoped that the progress they had made with each other would help.

These ponderings would have to wait, however, as she was currently casting her 'sneak up on werewolves spell' over herself and Sirius. Once complete, they made their way down the hall to the bedroom of one happily snoring Remus Lupin. Jeannie went to reach for the door knob but Sirius, being a bit more experienced with Remus' anti-prank measures, stopped her. Pulling out his wand, he took down whatever wards Remus had placed on the door and gestured to her that it was now clear. She opened the door and they slipped inside. They moved to the edge of the bed and Jeannie removed their cloaking spells. Sirius cleared his throat and played a very loud, albeit short, solo on his Christmas present - the bongo drums.

"AARRGGHH! DAMMIT PADFOOT!" Remus shouted as he was rather rudely awoken, reaching for his wand and blasting a hole in the wall as his jinx missed the cackling intruders as they ran for cover. He sighed and fell back onto his pillows only to groan as the footsteps of several teenagers and Molly could be heard rushing to his aid. Clearly there was no more sleep to be had. Casting a Tempus as Molly appeared in his doorway, he found that it was 5:04 in the morning.

"Remus, are you alright?" Molly asked, rushing to the bed and laying her hand on his forehead as though checking for a temperature.

"I'm fine," Remus muttered, still half-asleep, "but if you trip over Sirius' body on the way downstairs, just know that I was justified."

* * *

 

After breakfast and one last check of the house to make sure nothing got left behind, the kids stepped out of Grimmauld Place to find the Knight Bus waiting for them. There were lots of hugs and warnings and promises to be careful, and the silence that befell the front hall after the last teenager had gone, accompanied by Remus and Tonks, was almost palpable. Jeannie moved to Sirius and rubbed his back soothingly. He looked at her and gave her a half-smile, which she returned.

"I need to talk to you," she whispered to him.

"Upstairs?"

Jeannie shook her head. "Sitting room."

Sirius nodded and followed her out of the kitchen and down the hall to the sitting room. Once there, he closed the door and sat in his chair while she sat indian-style on one of the sofas.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I want to tell you what happened at Malfoy Manor," she said plainly, surprising him. He still wasn't used to how direct she could be at times, especially about the heavy stuff.

"Only if you're sure. We don't have to do this now," he replied.

"We do need to do this now," she countered. "I'm going to have to tell the story tonight at the meeting and you and Remus need to know before then."

"Alright. Do you want to wait for him to get back then?" he asked.

"No. Why?"

"Well, you said we both need to know," he answered.

"You do," Jeannie said. "I want to tell you first, then I think I'm going to need your help telling Remus."

Sirius looked back at her and frowned. "I don't understand," he said. "Why would you need my help telling Remus what happened?"

Jeannie sighed. "Let me explain."

He got comfortable and Jeannie began her story, telling Sirius all she could remember from that night. How she'd slipped away with the idea of snooping a little only to run into Greyback, how he'd smelled Remus on her and deduced that she was in the Order. How Lucius had silenced and disarmed her and Greyback had hauled her into a room where she was introduced to Bellatrix. Ignoring Sirius' clenched fists and furious expression, she told him how Bellatrix had come up with a muggle way to punish the muggle-lover and even how Lucius had forced Draco to participate. She told him everything, every detail she could remember because she was still somewhat unhappy with the way the Order like to pick and choose what got told to whom. Jeannie needed Sirius to know, so she told him. Sirius was silent for a long while.

"Well," he said finally, his voice low but controlled. "Now I understand why you need my help telling Remus."

Jeannie nodded. "I'd like to tell Max, too, but he won't get here until the meeting starts. Said he had to meet up with a contact."

"Yes. That Nahual bloke," Sirius said. "He's not really into 'meetings' and things like that. Likes to simply pass on information. According to Remus, some werewolves are like that. No matter what they were like before they were bitten, once they go through a few moons, they find like to keep to themselves."

"Hmm. I've heard the same thing from Max. Now, how do you propose I go about talking to Remus?" she asked.

Sirius thought about for a minute. "I think we ought to ambush him. As soon as he gets back. Bring him in here, you do the talking and I'll make sure he doesn't start his 'I'm a worthless werewolf' shit."

"He's going to think this is his fault, isn't he?" Jeannie asked, biting her lip and watching Sirius get up and walk to the doorway as they heard the front door open and close, signalling the return of Remus and Tonks.

"Probably. If you think I've got issues with mis-placed guilt, you should live with Remus for a while. He'll drive you up the bloody wall. Oi, Moony!" Sirius called, sticking his head around the door.

"Yes?" Remus answered mildly from the hall.

"Yeah, come in here a minute, will you?" Sirius asked, moving back into the room and giving Jeannie a look.

A few moments later, Remus appeared in the doorway.

"You got a minute?" Jeannie asked. "I need to talk to you."

"Sure," Remus answered, slightly bewildered. He moved into the room, took a seat on the opposite sofa and gave Jeannie his full attention.

As expected, he did not take it well. Several times during Jeannie's talk, he got up to pace agitatedly around the room, his movements resembling a scared, caged animal. Jeannie kept talking, though, relying on Sirius to keep an eye on the pacing werewolf and make sure he didn't storm from the room in a fit of rage and guilt. Remus ran his hands through his hair so many times it began to resemble Harry's unruly mop and he couldn't bring himself to look at Jeannie.

"I'm sorry, Jeannie," he said when she was done talking. "I'm so sorry."

Jeannie rolled her eyes at Sirius who gave her a look that said he'd expected this reaction. "Remus, this is most definitely _not_ your fault," she said, trying to nip this in the bud. "You couldn't possibly have known what was going to happen."

"I know, I just - if Greyback hadn't smelled me on you, then... "

"Then Lucius would have tried to corner me and I would have had to fight him off. Or it might have been Macnair, or Nott, or any of the other supremacist bastards there that night," Jeannie replied. "I think Sirius was right - there was really no way things could have ended well. There wasn't a man in that room with the exception of Draco, who's still just a boy, who wasn't looking at me like I was steak. Something was bound to happen."

"Well, that's hardly the point - "

"It's exactly the point," Sirius broke in. "There were simply too many variables to consider. If Greyback hadn't smelled you on her, then maybe he would have decided that he wanted her for himself and attacked her anyway. Or, like Jeannie said, Lucius would have tried something. It was a bad situation. Period."

Remus sat back down, looking thoroughly dejected. Jeannie got up and went to sit beside him on his sofa. He finally looked at her, but his eyes were sad.

"Remus, I wanted to tell you this before the meeting because I wanted you to get this out of your system," she told him. "This is not your fault. There is no way this could possibly be your fault. You're being idiotic and I won't allow it."

"Alright," he conceded, "maybe it wasn't my fault, but I was still the catalyst."

Jeannie sighed, then had an idea. "Have you ever heard of a muggle scientist named Sir Issac Newton?" she asked.

Remus frowned. "I think so, but I don't remember anything about him. Why?"

"He wrote the laws of physics. Muggle science stuff," she said, seeing Sirius' blank look. "Anyway, his third law states that _'for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction'_."

"Okay," Remus said, confused. "That makes sense, but how does it apply to the current situation?"

"It's perfect for this situation, because it means that everyone and everything is a catalyst for something at all times. A movement causes an action, which causes a reaction, which causes a new action, which causes another reaction and so on. You're focusing on a negative reaction which you couldn't anticipate or control from an outside force when you should be focusing on all the good reactions you cause all the time," she explained, her face lighting up as she knew she was weaving logic he wouldn't be able to get out of. Remus seemed to sense it as well as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"The good reactions," he repeated. Jeannie nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, don't you see? You make the best coffee I've ever had, which means that your action of making coffee makes me happy, which in turn makes you happy because everyone know how much you like to please people. Action and reaction. You've been a great friend to Sirius, which may not mean much legally in terms of getting him free, but it means the world to him," she paused as Sirius nodded earnestly. "You're intelligent and kind and, according to the kids, you're the best Defense professor the world has ever seen. You're a positive catalyst for everyone, Remus."

"Those are all relatively little things," Remus said, clearly not accepting defeat yet.

Jeannie shrugged. "The world is made up of little things. I still maintain that you're presence in the world is far more positive than negative and Sirius thinks the same, so you're outnumbered. Two against one."

Sirius burst out laughing as Remus' face twisted with the effort to argue. The werewolf opened and closed his mouth twice before huffing, sitting back on the sofa and crossing his arms childishly.

"Do you see what she's just done, mate?" Sirius asked, still laughing. "She's intellectually negated your ability to mope! Oh, gods, I love smart girls!"

* * *

 

Remus sat with Jeannie and Sirius for a few more minutes, until it became clear even to him that he couldn't come up with a valid argument to use against Jeannie's assertion that it was a good thing he existed. Making the excuse that he now desperately needed a cup of hot chocolate to calm himself down, he fled to the kitchen, only to find Tonks sitting alone at the table looking sad. This startled him somewhat. Remus had never seen Tonks sad. He'd seen her irritated at Sirius, and rebellious against Moody, but the rest of the time she was fun and happy and perky.

Not now, though. Right now she was hunched in her chair, resting her head in her hand and staring intently at the fire as though it was the cause of her current melancholy. Her hair, too, had changed. No longer pink and spiky like usual, it had grown in length to rest at her shoulders and turned a deep blue, which Remus mentally made a note of meaning sad. Pink was normal, light blue was exhausted and red was angry, but deep, dark blue must be sad.

"Tonks?" he asked quietly, startling her. She jumped and her elbow slipped off the table, nearly causing her to hit her head, but she caught herself just in time.

"Oh, wotcher Remus," she said with a half-hearted smile.

"Hi. Um - I was going to make some hot chocolate. Would you like some?" he asked. He hadn't wanted to disturb her if she wanted a few moments to herself, but hot chocolate was most definitely a cure for melancholy, and he was happy to see her face light up slightly.

"I'd love some! I was thinking of making some myself, but me making hot chocolate when you're in the house is a bit of an insult," she said.

"An insult?" he asked, moving to the cupboard for the cocoa.

"Yeah. Well, not an insult to you - and insult to hot chocolate." He looked at her blankly. "Come on, Remus, everyone knows you're the king of hot beverages! You could probably make bovril taste good. I don't know how you flunked potions."

This made him laugh. "I didn't flunk potions, I just didn't do very well," he said, turning back to his concoction. "And it's not that I was rubbish at the art, it was just too much for me to be in a classroom with twenty other students. My senses are so much stronger than a normal person's, you see - I was never able to concentrate fully on my own work when I could hear people muttering instructions to themselves or smell the cauldron that was about to explode across the room."

"Must have been hell going through your teenage years with werewolf senses on top of hormones," Tonks said, laughter in her voice.

Remus chuckled and the tips of his ears turned red. "It could be at times," he admitted.

"Did you learn to tune it all out after a while?" she asked.

"Um, not really," Remus answered, not quite sure he was comfortable with the current subject matter. "For me, it was easier to learn everything I could about the meaning behind the, uh, scent?"

"'The meaning behind the scent'?Tonks repeated.

Remus sighed as he placed a steaming mug in front of Tonks and sat down with his own. "Well, yes. For instance, I could always tell if someone was lying to me, but instead of allowing an emotional response to that, I would try to dissect the reason for the lie. Or if I knew someone was nervous about something, I would try to find out what could be making them uncomfortable. Sometimes it was as simple as looking at who they were sitting next to or who they were looking at across the room. It made me very observational. Very aware of my surroundings."

Tonks nodded thoughtfully as she drank her hot chocolate. It was the perfect temperature and the perfect amount of cocoa. _A woman could fall in love with a man who makes hot chocolate like this,_ she thought to herself.

"Haven't you ever asked Max about werewolf senses?" Remus inquired, watching her smile slightly and close her eyes as she enjoyed his drink.

She shrugged. "No, I don't think so. But he's much less subtle than you. It's always obvious when he's using his senses, it's not something I ever had to guess about."

"Obvious? How so?"

Tonks snorted. "Like amusing himself by announcing that Jeannie or I are just days away from our periods," she said, making Remus flush and nearly choke on his cocoa. "Or walking into a room and sniffing the air to assess the mood. Things like that. I guess in the circus, he never had to hide or act 'normal'."

Remus nodded. "There was a time - a long time ago - when I didn't have to hide. It didn't last long, but it was nice," he said, staring at the table.

"You don't have to hide here, do you?" Tonks asked, genuinely confused. Surely here, where everyone knew what he was and accepted it, was safe.

He smiled sadly. "No, I don't _have_ to hide here, but by now it's second nature for me to do so. I haven't had a place like this or people like these since Lily and James were alive. We were all very close when we graduated and that continued until - oh, about six months or so before they were killed."

"I'm sorry," Tonks said, feeling bad that she'd brought up painful memories. Remus turned his blue eyes on her and she felt herself go a little dizzy.

"That's alright," he said. "I don't usually talk this much. What was making you so sad earlier?"

"Sad?" she asked, shaking herself out of her momentary stupor. "Oh, I guess everything just kinda hit me at once, you know? It's been such a nice week and it was hard sending the kids back to school with that toad bitch, and I'm still a little shaken about Jeannie's injury. On top of that, I've got a bunch of double shifts coming up - working during the day, and guarding the Department of Mysteries at night. Then, of course, there's that nasty little voice in my head that keeps telling me we're all going to die... " she paused to take a breath. "You know, same shit, different day. Just hit me a little hard today."

"You worried me," Remus teased gently. "I'd never seen you sad."

"So sorry," she sang, standing and tripping over her own feet on her way to the counter to set her cup in the sink. "Well, I suppose I'd better head off. I've got reports to file this afternoon."

Remus noticed that she didn't seem very happy about the office work as he got up and set his mug in the sink next to hers. "Don't work too hard," he said with a smile.

Tonks shook her head playfully. "No chance of that." She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then moved towards him and wrapped her arms around his middle. "Thanks," she said, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him. "Thanks for the hot chocolate and sympathy."

Remus was stunned, but he had enough presence of mind to gently bring his arms up around her shoulders in what he hoped was a friendly hug and smile nervously down at her in response. This seemed to satisfy her as she smiled back and squeezed him tighter before letting go and heading out of the kitchen.

"See you later," she called as she vanished into the hall.

"Bye," Remus whispered, a little shell-shocked.

He was still in a mild state of shock when the meeting started that night and Tonks took the chair next to him with a smile. Hardly hearing a word anyone said, it startled him when a glass suddenly shattered. Quickly taking note of the situation, it seemed that Jeannie had just finished telling the story of Malfoy Manor once again and Max had been so upset that he'd gripped his glass too hard and it had broken in his hand. Jeannie quickly healed him, though, and they got back to business. Shifts were assigned and partners chosen, and before Remus knew it, everyone was leaving. Including Tonks.

"Be safe tonight," he said without thinking as she stood and made to leave for her overnight watch.

Tonks didn't answer, she just smiled brilliantly at him and winked. Remus felt his ears heat up again and cursed himself for acting like a teenager. Hearing snickering to his right, he turned to see Sirius looking at him and grinning. He rolled his eyes at his friend and decided to call it a night. A glass of Sirius' whiskey and a good book were what he needed right now, so he went to the library, picked out an old favorite and headed to bed, making a short pit-stop into the sitting room for the liquor. Once in bed, he successfully lost himself in his book, but when he fell asleep, he dreamed of pink hair and hot chocolate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Finally seeing a bit of RL/NT! How did we like it?
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	32. Matters Of The Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who's following this story!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

As promised, a few days after the kids went back to school, Dumbledore arrived at Grimmauld Place with two house-elves in tow. Despite having Dobby there for moral support, Winky still looked very nervous at the unknown quantity that was her new master. Before she left, Hermione had filled Sirius in on Winky's story, so he took extra care to be gentle with the little elf. According to the bushy-haired witch, Winky had been having a rather hard time adjusting to the loss of her former masters, so Sirius was happy that Dobby and Albus accompanied her.

It was obvious that Sirius' situation had been explained to Winky already, so he wasted no time going over it again. All he wanted to make sure of was that she was, in fact, willing to be here and work for him and that she understood the few rules he would insist on. First, that she would be paid. Sirius refused to insult her by offering more than Dumbledore was paying her, but he felt that the whole point of the war they were fighting was to make the world a better and fairer place, so where better to start than house-elves? Second, he absolutely insisted that she never called him _'master'_. Sirius loathed being called 'master', and since Winky was being hired - not enslaved - he felt there was no reason for her to call him that.

Other than that, he made it clear to her that she would be free to do as she pleased with the house - he really didn't care if it got a good cleaning or not - and that she would not be treated harshly while under his roof. He knew how most pureblood families treated their elves (Dobby being a perfect example) and he did not want Winky to fear him. The last thing he insisted on was that she have no prejudices against anyone. The members of the Order were all unique in their own ways and Winky was not to behave like Kreacher and mutter under her breath or cast snide looks at anyone - namely Remus and Max. Sirius didn't know how Winky had been taught about other magical 'creatures', but werewolves were welcome under this roof, and Sirius insisted that Winky tolerate that like anyone else that came over.

Dumbledore made a few demands as well to make sure that the safety and security of the house and occupants were not compromised. He asked Winky to swear on her magic that she would not reveal the address of Grimmauld Place or the purposes the house was being used for to anyone, no matter who they were or what business they said they had. Since she would have no magical bond with Sirius or the house itself like a normal elf contract, Winky was technically free to reveal any and all secrets to whomever she wished to talk to, so the headmaster was careful to close any loophole that would allow her to do so.

Once all of this was settled, Winky set to work, first cleaning out the section of the cellar that she'd chosen to make into her own living quarters. Wrinkling her nose in disgust at the filthy cubby-hole Kreacher had called home, she'd looked at Sirius, who had promptly given her the choice of any available space in the house. She'd chosen the cellar because, like a good house-elf, her job was to remain unnoticed, and Winky wanted to be a good house-elf. When Jeannie returned from spending the day at her place, Sirius introduced her to Winky so she would become familiar with the people who were regularly in the house, then left the elf to do as she pleased and retreated to the sitting room for some quality time.

* * *

 

"Mmm, _Sirius_ ," Jeannie moaned as the raven-haired man's lips traveled down her neck, his goatee scratching her soft skin just the way she liked in perfect contrast to the softness of his lips. They were in the sitting room - recently dubbed the 'naughty' room - curled up on Sirius' chair and enjoying the almost empty house. With the kids there, they had been prevented from indulging in their favorite activity anywhere but Sirius' bedroom, but now that all underage beings had vacated the premises, they felt it was time to resume. There was an awful lot of Grimmauld Place that Sirius felt needed 'proper christening' and Jeannie was all too happy to oblige.

Sirius growled slightly and slid his hands into the back of her jeans, grabbing a fistful of arse in each and forcing her to grind on him. She wasn't exactly struggling, either, as her hands threaded through his hair and she moved against his crotch, feeling the growing hardness.

"Sirius Black."

"Mmm-hmm," Sirius answered without thinking, squeezing Jeannie's backside again and wondering why she suddenly pulled away. Breaking away from his mouth, she looked at him expectantly, and he suddenly felt as though he'd missed something.

"That wasn't me," she said simply. Sirius frowned in confusion before he realized what that meant.

"Shit! Harry!" he exclaimed, reaching swiftly into his robes and pulling out the two-way mirror.

Jeannie climbed off him and onto the armrest of the chair, ready to leave if Harry needed to speak to Sirius privately.

"Harry, son! How are you?" he asked, slightly worried. They'd all been unhappy about sending the kids back to suffer under Umbridge, and Sirius was glad to be able to see Harry and hear his voice.

"Hey," Harry greeted. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Not at all, Harry," Sirius answered, and he meant it. "Don't ever worry about that - you come first." He felt elated when he saw Jeannie nodding next to him out of the corner of his eye. They hadn't had that conversation yet, but she had to know Harry was his top priority, and it felt good to see her affirm that.

"Well, I just got back from my first lesson with Snape," Harry said, sounding as though he'd rather have spent the evening cleaning the toilets of his dormitory with his own toothbrush.

"And? How did it go?" Sirius asked, concerned.

"Shitty," the teenager answered bitterly. "It's not pleasant to have someone who hates you go digging around in your head."

Sirius grimaced and neither adult said anything about the boy's language. They knew they'd probably feel the same way.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Sirius said. "I'd teach you myself, but I'm shit at it."

"Really?" Harry asked mournfully.

"Yeah. It's my temper. Got me every time."

"When did you have to try to learn it?" Harry inquired, always eager to hear about Sirius' life before prison as it almost inevitably involved his father as well.

"We had to take a course in it for Auror training," Sirius said. "Your dad wasn't too terrible - I suspect being with Lily had something to do with mellowing him out a bit - but I was a disaster. The Black family temper. Every time someone got too near something I didn't want them seeing, I got angry instead of trying to push them out. Ended up giving Mad-Eye a nasty burn when I hexed him in order to keep him away from memories involving Remus. We were still keeping the animagus thing a secret, so I couldn't have him looking at memories of running through the woods with a werewolf and a large stag, could I?"

"No, I suppose not," Harry answered, grinning tiredly.

"I'm sorry, Harry - really. I knew Dumbledore wanted Snape to teach you, but I didn't know when that was supposed to start. After Arthur, though - " Sirius let the sentence hang.

"Yeah," Harry said, his voice quiet and thoughtful. "Sirius, I - er, well - " he started and stopped, clearly wanting to ask a question, but not sure how to go about it.

"Harry, sweetie," Jeannie interrupted. "I'm going to go get a snack and let you two talk for a minute, okay?" Harry and Sirius both smiled their thanks as she stood and left the room.

"What's going on, Harry?" Sirius asked gently. The boy hadn't wanted to talk during the Christmas holiday, but he clearly needed to now.

"I just feel like I should have been able to stop it!" Harry exclaimed, looking frustrated. "Like if I'd tried, Mr. Weasley wouldn't have been hurt."

"Harry, you only saw the attack. You weren't there and you couldn't have done anything." Sirius was attempting to reassure him, but the look on Harry's face said he wasn't succeeding.

"You don't understand, Sirius! It wasn't like a vision - like I was watching everything happen. It was like I _was_ the snake. Like I was inside the snake's mind, seeing through it's eyes! I don't know what that means!"

Sirius exhaled heavily and ran a hand over his face. Of all the things Harry could have said to him, this wasn't one he was expecting and he truly had no idea how to respond. Dumbledore had told them that Harry shared a connection to Voldemort's mind, but this was something else. This was something bordering on possession and Sirius didn't know how to make it sound like nothing to worry about. He decided that honesty would be the best policy.

"Harry," he began seriously, "I'm not sure exactly what to tell you. Obviously you know that you and Voldemort are connected somehow, but just how deep that connection goes is unknown. What you've just told me is something I've never heard of and I haven't heard anything more from Albus about it either. I wish I could give you some answers, but right now it seems like the best idea is for you to learn Occlumency and try to at least block that connection."

Harry looked very troubled. It seemed to Sirius that there was more going on than he was saying, but if Harry wasn't ready to talk, he wasn't going to push the issue. The boy was being pulled in so many directions and Sirius didn't want Harry pulling away from him because he felt any sort of pressure. Sirius' role was to be there at Harry's disposal and whether that meant talking about his scar and his visions, or helping him cram for his next herbology test, Sirius didn't care. He wanted and needed to be the one thing Harry could count on to never make demands of him.

"Do you think it will work?" Harry asked, his voice small.

"Honestly, I don't know. Being an Occlumens means being able to close your mind against outside intrusion, so theoretically, it should at least help. Did Snape give you any exercises?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, he said to try to clear my mind before going to sleep since that's when the visions usually happen. Of course, he didn't tell me _how_ to do that... " Harry rolled his eyes.

"Well, you can't expect him to be _helpful_ , can you?" Sirius asked, cocking an eyebrow and attempting to make Harry smile. It worked and the boy grinned at him. "I'll poke around the library here a bit and see if I can't find something on the subject, okay?"

This seemed to perk Harry up a bit. "Okay," he said through a yawn. "I need to go to bed. I'm exhausted."

"Alright, son. Goodnight."

"'Night, Sirius."

* * *

 

Jeannie looked up as Sirius entered the kitchen. Whatever Harry had said to him clearly had him concerned. Sharing a look with Tonks, who had stumbled through the fireplace shortly after Jeannie retreated to the kitchen to give Harry and Sirius some privacy, she kicked out one of the chairs and Sirius took it, sighing heavily and resting his elbows on his knees.

"How is he?" Tonks asked.

Sirius made a face. "He just spent the evening letting Snape dig around in his head, so - not well. I told him I'd look around here to see if there's anything about strengthening the mind."

"This is so stupid," Jeannie said.

"What is?" Sirius asked.

"Trying to teach a fifteen-year-old boy Occlumency," Tonks answered. "I mean, you might as well try to make the case for celibacy. There's simply too much going on in his mind and body right now and with Dumbledore not telling him anything, this is just going to make things worse. He should at least have someone he trusts teaching him. I wish I could do it."

"Me too, cousin - but like I told Harry, I'm no good at it. What about you?" he asked Jeannie.

"I've never tried it," she said, shrugging.

"Is he just doing lessons with Snape or is he supposed to practice on his own?" Tonks asked.

"He says he's supposed to try clearing his mind before going to bed, because that's when it's the worst. Of course, Snape didn't explain how to do that, he just told Harry to try," Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey - what about meditation?" Jeannie asked.

"What about it?"

"Well, it may be a good starting point. Do you remember when we got into yoga in sixth year?" Jeannie asked Tonks.

The witch nodded. "Yeah, we got pretty good at it, too. You know, I bet I still have a couple of those books - I'll look and see. If I do, we'll figure out a way to send them to him and see if they help, yeah?" They both nodded and Tonks yawned. "I think I'll just crash here, tonight. I'm too tired to apparate," she said, getting up and leaving Sirius and Jeannie alone in the kitchen.

"What's yoga?" Sirius asked.

Jeannie chuckled. "It's sort of like working out while meditating. It's supposed to connect body and mind and, therefore, improve both. I started doing it the summer before sixth year and when I went back to Hogwarts, Tonks started joining me. She tried really hard, but yoga is sort of based on _balance_ , so... "

"Balance? What - is her mental balance shit, too?"

"No," Jeannie chuckled. "It's just - okay, when you do yoga, everything's supposed to be calm and quiet. Then you go into a position and hold it for a while as you meditate, then change positions and meditate some more. So, we would go into a position, but then she'd fall over, and that would make me laugh and break the meditation part. Or I would be waiting for her to fall over and start giggling, which would make her fall over." She and Sirius laughed. "It was pretty much a disaster, and I was still in the circus and training for that, so I didn't really need another work out routine."

"Okay, but how would any of that help Harry?" he asked.

"Well, if he could learn to meditate before going to bed, that would help him clear his mind. I'm not saying he should light candles and listen to whale calls, but organizing his mind would help, I'm sure of it."

Sirius nodded thoughtfully, but decided against asking what connection candles and whale calls had with yoga. "So, are you going to head back to your place or do you want to stay here?" he asked, changing the subject. Since the kids had gone back and Jeannie had healed almost completely, she'd divided her time pretty evenly between her place and Grimmauld.

She smiled slightly and ran her foot along his thigh. "I'd like to stay," she said.

"I rather like it when you stay," Sirius said honestly. There were times he feared he was getting too attached to Jeannie, but it was easy to ignore those thoughts. Especially when she was next to him.

"I've noticed," she replied, her smile turning into a grin. Sirius smirked.

"Well, that too," he said, "but that's not what I meant. I like it when you're here. You make things almost tolerable." Running his hand up and down her denim-clad leg, he realized it was true. Jeannie smiled at him.

"Shall we go upstairs?" she asked. Sirius nodded and followed her up to his bedroom.

* * *

 

The next several weeks were interesting. Just days after the new school term began, a group of the most vicious Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban, and the Order was not surprised to learn that the Ministry was blaming Sirius for it. An Unspeakable named Broderick Bode was killed by a Devil's Snare that had been mistaken for a common houseplant while recuperating at St. Mungo's and, according to Moody, this particular Unspeakable was in the hospital in the first place for trying to steal a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries.

On top of all that, Harry was feeling worse than ever due to almost constant headaches from his Occlumency training with Snape, although he said that the meditation books Tonks had been able to give to him during a Hogsmeade weekend had helped a bit. At least the books didn't yell at him and tell him he was weak and useless.

The one bright spot, however, came one morning about a week after Valentine's Day when a newspaper arrived addressed to Sirius. He and Remus were in the kitchen having their morning coffee and Sirius nearly choked on his when he began reading the newspaper. It was an article written by Rita Skeeter and it claimed to be the only true account of Voldemort's return - in Harry Potter's own words. The two men both thought it was a brilliant move - Umbridge was bound to ban all copies from the school which, of course, meant that everyone would have one by the end of the week and people would finally get to hear the truth that the Ministry was trying so hard to smother.

Jeannie and Tonks agreed with them, but the rest of the Order felt Harry was being reckless. Prudently, Sirius kept his mouth shut about Dumbledore's Army; if they thought giving an interview was reckless, they would surely disapprove of a secret Defense society. Finally, after that, things seemed to quiet down a bit - except for the almost daily 'Educational Decrees' coming from the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, as Umbridge was now calling herself. Unfortunately, the calm that settled after the fury over Harry's article died down did little to soothe anyone's nerves. Everyone seemed to agree that it felt as though something was coming, though they had no idea what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Next up: the Easter fiasco...
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	33. Sneak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: There is an awful lot to cover in the next several chapters, so I apologize if something seems rushed or a chapter seems all over the place. I won't be simply pasting J.K. Rowling's words into my story as it is about Sirius and Jeannie, so it will read more like canon events through their eyes. We will see more Harry/Ron/Hermione, but we will see even more behind the scenes Order stuff.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling. This includes any dialogue that may have been in the books. I'm trying very hard not to quote verbatim, but it may occasionally happen. I DO NOT OWN ANY CANON CHARACTERS, SITUATIONS OR DIALOGUE.

"Remember how we did it, Harry," Remus was saying, talking to Harry through Sirius' mirror. "If they can't find a strong enough memory, focus on a very good _feeling_ first, then try searching for a memory."

Harry was currently in the middle of a DA lesson, and having a bit of trouble with it. It was to be the last lesson before the Easter holidays, and he was attempting to teach his fellow students the Patronus Charm, but so far hadn't had great success, so he'd turned to the man who'd taught him for help. Luckily, Remus was at headquarters with Sirius when Harry called through the mirror, and was more than happy to give the teenager the benefit of his experience. This had happened once or twice when Harry had gotten stuck on a charm or hex that was very important but tricky to teach and Remus had proved to be an invaluable asset.

"Right," Harry said, nodding. "Okay, I'll talk to you later. Thanks," he said, closing the mirror inside the book he was using as a decoy. In order to keep the mirror a secret from all but Ron and Hermione, Harry had taken to sticking it in the middle of a book and walking around with the book in front of him so it looked as though he were merely reading some obscure Defense manual. It worked, but he did have to be careful about moving his mouth - there were enough rumours regarding his sanity floating around and Harry did not need a member of the DA seeing him talking to a book.

"Like this, Harry?" called Neville, swishing his wand about as though he were dueling Captain Hook. Harry set the book down on one of the bookshelves the Room of Requirement provided when it created his classroom, making a mental note to pick it up at the end of the lesson, and walked over to his classmate.

"No, Neville," he said, pulling out his own wand and showing the boy the correct wand movement. "You're being too harsh with it. Try to use your wand like a paintbrush - nice, easy strokes. Does that make sense?"

"I think so," Neville replied, trying it again, slower and softer. On the third go, a faint silver mist flowed from his wand and he looked at Harry as though he'd just won the Quidditch Cup single-handedly.

Harry grinned. "See? It's not really that hard. You'll have a Patronus before you know it," he said, clapping Neville on the shoulder. Turning, he began making his rounds around the room, correcting stance or wand movements as necessary and feeling a smug bit of pride at noticing a distinct blush on the cheeks of Cho Chang as he passed her. Smiling to himself, he moved on, watching Ginny concentrate hard, then wave her wand, casting a true corporeal Patronus.

"Wow," said several students, as the horse galloped around the room, coming to stop in front of a shocked Ginny. She reached out to pet it, but lost her concentration and broke the charm, watching it fade into a mist and then disappear.

"Wow, Ginny," Harry said, genuinely impressed. "I didn't actually expect anyone to do that yet."

"Yeah, quite impressive, baby sister," Fred agreed, throwing an arm around her shoulders as a few people clapped.

"Alright, guys," Harry called. "Back to work." They continued on for about another half an hour or so, when Hermione's voice interrupted them.

"Harry!" she shouted, sounding upset. Harry turned her way to find her kneeling next to a trembling Dobby.

"Dobby! What's wrong?" Harry asked, rushing over to the little elf. Dobby looked at Harry with the same expression he'd worn during Harry's second year when he couldn't tell him something important.

"Dobby can't say!" he answered tearfully, his large eyes pleading for Harry to glean the emergency.

"Oh, yes you can, Dobby," Harry coaxed, seeing that this was serious. "Come on, tell me what's happened."

"Dobby was just cleaning the High Inquisitor's office, Harry Potter," Dobby squeaked, putting emphasis on every word as though they each contained a hidden meaning.

Harry felt an ice-cold dread fill him. "Okay. What happened in Umbridge's office, Dobby?" he asked calmly, but the elf shook his head violently and rushed over to a bookshelf, where he proceeded to bang his head against it. "Dobby, no!" Harry shouted, running over and physically restraining him from hurting himself more. "Dobby, you need to tell me what's happened and I order you not to punish yourself for it, do you understand?" he said forcefully, knowing that at times like this he had to be firm with Dobby.

" _She knows,_ Harry Potter," Dobby said, his face devastated. Harry's breath left him.

"Is she coming?" he asked, his voice low and his eyes wide. Dobby nodded. "Out! Everybody! Back to your dorms! Now!" he shouted, watching everyone scramble for their things and leave. "Thank you, Dobby!" he said, grabbing his own bag. "And remember - _no punishments!_ " Harry watched Dobby nod and disappear with a _crack!_ before attempting his own escape.

Harry did not remember to pick up his decoy book.

* * *

 

" _Dumbledore's Army?!_ " Fudge gasped, looking positively apoplectic as he stared at the parchment in his hands. "What is the meaning of this, Albus?! Are you raising your own little army inside these walls?"

"No!" Harry shouted. "It wasn't him, it was _us, me_ \- "

"Harry, I must ask you to be quiet," Dumbledore said evenly, but firmly. "Minister, it seems as though you've caught me. There's no reason to question Mister Potter or Miss Edgecombe any further. That piece of paper in your hand clearly implicates me."

"But - ," Harry tried, but was quieted once again, this time with a stern look from Kinglsey, who had accompanied Minister Fudge to the school after Harry had been caught following a well-placed tripping jinx by Malfoy and using information from Marietta Edgecombe, who was now sporting a fantastic break-out of acne which, purely by coincidence, was forming the word _SNEAK_ across her forehead. After finding the DA's member list, Umbridge scanned the document, then proudly handed it to Fudge, whose face turned from red to green and back to red so fast Harry wasn't entirely sure he hadn't imagined it.

"Well," Fudge said, bouncing on the balls of his feet in his excitement and not even trying to contain his glee. "It seems as though I now have cause to be rid of you, Dumbledore! You will leave this school immediately, escorted by Auror Shacklebolt, and I will appoint your replacement."

Harry looked on in horror, but Dumbledore merely smiled. "Ah - I thought we may come to this," he said pensively, as though he were merely discussing an arithmancy problem. "You see, Minister - I have no intention whatsoever of accompanying you anywhere."

Fudge spluttered. "But - but, I'm sacking you, Dumbledore! You're finished! Gone! Done with the position of Headmaster of this school!"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I understand you, Cornelius - but I'm afraid there is one small point which you have not taken into account."

"And what might that be?" Fudge asked, drawing himself up haughtily and sneering at the old wizard.

"You're assuming that I am going to - ah, what is the phrase - _'come quietly'_ ," Dumbledore said mildly. "I most certainly will not be doing that."

"Oh you won't?!" Fudge shouted, clearly not believing a word of what he was hearing. "If you resist, Dumbledore, I will have Auror Shacklebolt take you by force!"

"No, I don't think so, Cornelius," Dumbledore said and, sharing a look with McGonagall who immediately moved to shield Harry and Marietta, the headmaster (now former) drew his wand and sent a bolt of light through his office, blinding everyone. When the light was gone, so was Dumbledore and, apparently, Fawkes, whose perch now sat empty. Harry looked at McGonagall, whose mouth was set in a straight line, and then back at Fudge, who was staring at the spot Dumbledore had disappeared from as though expecting him to suddenly reappear from under an invisibility cloak.

"Well, Minister," Kingsley broke in. "You don't have to like the man, but you have to admit - he's got style."

* * *

 

Sirius and Remus were momentarily blinded by the sudden flash of light that filled the sitting room of Grimmauld Place, and they were astounded to find none other than Albus Dumbledore standing in front of them with Fawkes on his shoulder when the light died down. The two men had retired to the sitting room for a glass of whiskey after their chat with Harry and were in the middle of reminiscing about the glory days when the peace of the evening was shattered.

"Albus!" Sirius exclaimed, jumping up. "What in Merlin's name is going on? What's happened?!"

"It seems, Sirius, that I have outstayed my welcome at the school for the time being," Dumbledore replied simply, as usual leaving more questions than answers.

"What do you mean, 'outstayed your welcome'?" Remus asked, thoroughly unsettled. "Has something happened with Harry?"

"Yes and no. It seems that Mister Potter has seen fit to teach his fellow students the defensive spells and tactics that they are not learning from the current Professor and, decided to call this group 'Dumbledore's Army'," he answered.

"Yes, we know about that," Sirius said impatiently and without thinking. "But what are you doing here?!"

"Oh, so you did know about it?" Dumbledore clarified. "I wondered if Harry would take you into his confidence," he said, ignoring the guilty shuffling of both men. "Well, it appears that the group had a mole, and the mole - for lack of a better term - _tattle-taled_ the details of this group to our High Inquisitor, who took it upon herself to have me thrown out by no less than the Minister himself."

Remus shared a look with Sirius, whose hands were clenched into fists and clearly itching to reach into his robes and pull out the mirror to try and talk to Harry. Sirius didn't though - he wasn't entirely sure he wanted Dumbledore knowing about the mirror. He assumed that Albus knew he had a way to communicate with Harry like he seemed to know everything else but, for some reason, Sirius wanted to keep this to himself for now. Remus, following Sirius' lead, also remained quiet.

"So... ," Sirius began, needing more information. "What exactly does this mean? Is Harry in trouble? Is that bitch going to start carving into his skin again? What do we do now?!" Remus could tell from Sirius tone that he was very close to losing it and he hoped the Dumbledore wouldn't simply shrug him off like normal. Sirius _was_ Harry's godfather, after all, he had a right to know what was happening.

"I think, Sirius, that we need to call a meeting."

One hour and a supremely agitated animagus later, and all available Order members were gathered around Grimmauld's kitchen table. Minerva, of course was still at the school, Tonks was at the Department of Mysteries on guard duty and Jeannie was on a reconnaissance mission in Muggle London, trying to get an idea of whether or not anything 'weird' had been happening lately - i.e, had the Death Eaters been playing with the weak and wandless? She was due back any minute now, but until that happened, Sirius was a pacing, muttering, swearing mess. Remus' words of comfort fell on deaf ears; it seemed as though Jeannie was the only person who could truly handle Sirius these days when he got like this.

The meeting got under way and Dumbledore explained the events of the evening. He began by addressing Sirius' fears for Harry's and the other student's safety. As long as Minerva was there, he was not worried - she would defend them.

"That's all well and good, Albus," Moody interrupted, "but what will _you_ be doing? Are you going to hide out here?"

"No, Alastor," Dumbledore answered. "I will be going undercover for a while. There are things I need to do that I could not do while I was still at the school, but since I have been relieved of my duties there for the present time, I find my calendar had been somewhat freed up."

"Will you be coming back here every so often to check in?" Remus asked, not quite sure how this was going to work.

"I will be in contact with you all as often as possible, but it may be irregular. Fawkes, however, seems to have a sixth sense for when I am truly needed somewhere, so if something occurs that requires my immediate attention, I'm sure he will alert me." Dumbledore sighed. "Make no mistake, this is not how I planned for things to happen, but I feel that it is probably for the best. We will need to continue our designated roles to the best of our ability and, for the moment, persevere."

"Persevere?" Sirius fairly growled. "Albus, you were the last thing standing between those kids and total Ministry control."

"I truly do not like this, Sirius. Please believe me," Dumbledore replied, looking Sirius in the eye. "But the situation has been out of my control for a while now. I do not believe things will get much worse with me not there - in fact, things might get slightly better."

"Better how?" Remus asked.

"I think that Madam Umbridge has absolutely no idea what she is getting in to assuming my position," he explained. "The students and professors of Hogwarts are not loyal to her and will not hesitate to wreak havoc on any changes she seeks to implement. I have every confidence that within a week, Dolores Umbridge will be at her wits end. Rebellion can be a healthy thing sometimes." Albus couldn't help but smile as he said that.

"That's true," Moody chimed in. "Umbridge won't know what hit her when the shit really hits the fan. She'll be spread too thin and nobody will come to her rescue. Fudge doesn't like to do things, he likes having them done, so if she complains to him, she'll get no satisfaction. And none of the teachers are going to punish any of their students for standing up to her."

He was interrupted just then by Jeannie walking in. Because she'd spent the evening in the Muggle London night life, she'd dressed accordingly. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail, showing off her neck and shoulders. A tight, sleeveless blue dress clung to her curves and ended just above mid-thigh and led to black tights which, in turn, led to slinky black high heels. A little smoky eye make-up and a small hand bag completed the picture of a young woman out for a good time.

"Ah, Jeannie," Dumbledore greeted. "Please - have a seat," he said, gesturing to the table. Jeannie took the seat next to Sirius, as usual, and looked around in alarm.

"What did I miss? What's going on?" she asked.

"I'm sure that Sirius and Remus will fill you in on the details later," Dumbledore answered. "How did your evening go? Anything to report from the non-magical community?"

Jeannie looked to Sirius - who shook his head slightly - before answering. "No, everything in the Muggle community seems fine," she said. "I've been sifting through Muggle newspapers recently, too, and I haven't seen anything too suspicious yet. Nobody that I spoke to tonight had seen or heard anything strange, either." Jeannie hesitated slightly before continuing. "But - it still doesn't feel right."

"How so?" asked Moody.

"I don't know - it just seems like there _should_ have been something, you know? Especially with those escaped Death Eaters. It makes me wonder if this isn't just the calm before the storm. Or if there's something else we're not seeing," she said, making Moody grin.

"I told you to become an Auror," he said, chuckling. " _That's_ the kind of paranoia we need more of."

Jeannie rolled her eyes at him. "Clearly, I've been spending way too much time around you," she answered smartly, making Sirius snort.

Dumbledore laughed quietly. "Yes, I agree. With both of you. Jeannie's right, things are far too quiet and Alastor is right to be suspicious of it. I have a feeling things may come to a head sooner rather than later - which is all the more reason for me to make all haste in going about my own missions." He stood and looked around the room. "Please, everyone, be extra careful in going about your duties. At one time, I may have had some influence with the powers that be, but it seems that that has dwindled significantly and if something is to happen, having me in your corner may be more of a hindrance than an asset. For now, I will say goodnight - and good luck."

Turning on his heel, he strode from the room and, a few moments later, they heard the front door open and close. Silence filled the room for a long minute until Jeannie got fed up and decided to find out what had happened that night.

"Right," she said. "Who wants to tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Come on," Sirius said. "Let's talk in the other room. Remus, do me a favor and leave a note for Tonks?" Remus nodded as the rest of the Order began to disperse. Sirius led Jeannie to the sitting room and poured himself a whiskey. Jeannie called Winky and asked the elf to bring her a glass of wine. Once they had their drinks, Sirius filled Jeannie in - including the fact that he and Remus had been talking to Harry just before things went south. Jeannie could see that the night's events were weighing heavily on Sirius, so she decided to stay over and try to keep him calm.

Remembering one of their episodes in this very room, she transfigured one of the sofas into a large four-poster bed, then looked at him to see him grin at her. He remembered, too. They changed their clothing into more appropriate sleep attire, and climbed into the bed, snuggling close. Sirius breathed her in as she wrapped her arms around him, trying to calm him the only way she could. Making sure the mirror was on the table beside the bed in case Harry tried to get in touch, they got comfortable and tried to go to sleep. It took Sirius a while but, eventually, Jeannie's warm body and even breathing lulled him into dreamland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: There are two quotes in this chapter which are very close to what's written in the books. The first is when Dumbledore tells Fudge that he will not come quietly, and the second is when Kingsley says that Dumbledore's got style. These were just too good to resist, but I cannot take credit for them. They are the work of J.K. Rowling, and I just like to play with her characters.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	34. Shock And Awe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Lots of twins in this chapter!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling. This includes any dialogue that may have been in the books. I'm trying very hard not to quote verbatim, but it may occasionally happen. I DO NOT OWN ANY CANON CHARACTERS, SITUATIONS OR DIALOGUE.

"Harry, mate - what are you looking for?" asked Ron, walking into the boys' dormitory and looking around at the wreckage his best friend was causing. Harry turned around with wild eyes and Ron briefly wondered if he was having one of his visions.

"I can't find it!" Harry hissed, frantically upending his trunk for a third time.

"Can't find what?"

"The mirror! Sirius' mirror! I had it when the DA got caught, but I don't know where it is now!" Harry shouted, dropping to his knees to look under the bed yet again.

After the incident in Dumbledore's office, Harry had been escorted back to Gryffindor Tower by Minerva who had assured him that Dumbledore would let the Order know what had happened. He'd been so exhausted by the whole ordeal - and so relieved that he'd somehow escaped without punishment for the time being - that he'd fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. That is, after relating the events to Ron and Hermione, who had been waiting up for him in the Common Room. The last thing on his mind was talking to anyone, even Sirius, and by the time he'd woken up the next morning, he'd forgotten completely.

"Oh, bugger," said Ron. "Well, where did you have it last?"

"I don't know! I remember talking to Sirius and Remus during the Patronus lesson, but now I can't find it!" Harry paused in his excavation of the dorm to collect his thoughts. "Okay - we were learning Patronus', right?" he asked, trying to use Ron as a sounding board for a play-by-play of that night.

"Right."

"And I was having trouble trying to explain how to summon one, right?"

"Right."

"So I called Sirius through the mirror and he found Remus who talked me through it, right?"

Ron shrugged. "Okay."

Harry blinked. "Oh, right - you were across the room. Yeah, I was talking to Remus... "

"Okay, then what happened?"

"Uh - ," Harry said, trying to piece together the puzzle. "Oh! Neville needed help with the wand movement!"

"Okay, good - keep going," said Ron, sitting down on the edge of Harry's bed.

"Um, uh - I walked over to help him because he looked like he was going to poke his own eye out and - AH!" he said looking up at Ron. "I set the book down on one of the bookshelves!"

Ron looked confused. "Book? I thought you were looking for the mirror?"

"I AM! I was hiding the mirror in a book because I don't want anyone knowing about it!" Harry explained quickly. Ron nodded.

"Okay, so the mirror is inside a book which is inside the Room of Requirement, which we know is being guarded by Umbridge's goons twenty-four hours a day," Ron said, summing up the situation.

"Right! Oh - " Harry's brief glimmer of happiness vanished almost instantly as he realized what that meant. "Shit!"

"Any idea which book it is?" asked Ron.

Harry thought about it. "I don't remember. I just picked up a random defense book."

"Any idea which shelf you left it on?"

"No," Harry groaned. "The Room keeps changing the shelves around depending on what we needed."

"Bugger."

Two days later and they were no closer to figuring out a way to get past the 'Inquisitorial Squad', as Umbridge liked to call her new band of thugs. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and several other Slytherins of questionable intelligence had been recruited by the new Headmistress and given all sorts of powers. They could dock points, give detentions and generally harass to their hearts content - all with the full approval of Umbridge herself. She had even gone so far as to place three of them around the corridor that housed the Room of Requirement in rotating shifts because she seemed absolutely certain that if she let it be, the DA would be picking up where it left off.

"We could try - "

"Ron, just leave it," Harry said wearily as they sat in the Common Room. The end of the DA had done one good thing for Harry - he was finally catching up on his homework.

"Yes, Ronald, leave it," Hermione agreed. "Harry's supposed to be clearing his mind right now."

Harry sighed miserably. He had an Occlumency lesson with Snape that night and he already knew it would be a disaster. Between the DA getting caught, losing the mirror and his general exhaustion, clearing his mind had become increasingly difficult. Add to that the fact that he wasn't sure at all that Snape wasn't secretly making it easier for Voldemort to get into his head and that he wasn't sure that stopping the visions would be a good thing seeing as his vision of Mr. Weasley had saved the man's life, and Harry was in a right mess. And, for the cherry on top, he'd dreamed about the corridor with the door again just the previous night and he was sure Snape would find that memory.

Checking the time Harry groaned. He was due in Snape's office in fifteen minutes. Stuffing his things in his bag, he went up to the boy's dorm to drop them off, then headed back down to the Common Room. Waving at Ron and Hermione who wished him luck, he exited the portrait hole and began making his way towards the dungeons. _Best to get this over with,_ he thought dejectedly as he once again knocked on Snape's door.

* * *

 

An hour later found a very confused and highly disillusioned Harry Potter heading back to Gryffindor Tower in a haze. Snape had, in fact, seen the dream, but before he could properly interrogate Harry, Malfoy had shown up, interrupting their lesson and saying that Umbridge needed Snape's help with something. Snape had told Harry to wait, but he'd gotten bored and wandered over to the Potions Master's desk, finding his pensieve. Curious as to what could be so important that Snape didn't want to risk Harry accidentally stumbling across it like he'd done during a couple Occlumency attempts where Harry had fought back and entered Snape's mind, he - almost unconsciously - looked into the pensieve.

Minutes later, he was dragged out by none other than Snape himself, who was enraged at the situation. Snape told him never to speak of what he'd seen and threw him out of the room, but not before swearing to never give Harry another Occlumency lesson. Harry had sped away from Snape's office, running through the halls of the school as though Umbridge herself was hot on his heels. Stopping only when he was well and truly out of breath, Harry slumped against the wall, trying to digest all he'd just seen. The memory the pensieve had dropped him into had been horrible.

The Snape in the pensieve had looked to be no older than Harry and he was clearly minding his own business when a very young James Potter and Sirius Black decided it was time to play. Remus and Peter had been there, too - the former trying desperately to ignore what was going on and the latter playing follow-the-leader and going along with James and Sirius. Then Harry's mother had arrived, and that's when Harry's world really shattered. He'd always been told that his parents had been very much in love with each other, but the James and Lily Harry had just seen were anything but.

Harry didn't know what to think. The Sirius and Remus that he knew had told him that his parents were practically saints, and he'd always hated Snape for taunting him about his father, who he said had been cocky and arrogant. It seemed now, though, that Snape had been right. The James Potter from the pensieve had been every bit as horrible as Snape made him out to be and Harry had to wonder if everyone else had been, yet again, keeping information from him. Now he really missed the mirror, but he knew better than to go anywhere near the seventh floor corridor. As Hermione had pointed out - for all they knew, Umbridge may have placed alarms around the room that let her know who was near. Harry thought that was a stretch, but Hermione insisted it could be done, so he had to admit it was possible.

One thing was for sure now, though. He _really_ needed to speak to Sirius.

* * *

 

Nearly two weeks later, the twins came to Harry with a plan. It seemed Ginny had spoken to them about Harry's predicament and they wanted to help. He tried to refuse, as this would surely get them into loads of trouble, but they told him not to worry, they had it all figured out. Harry was still wary, but he did need to speak to Sirius, so he went along with it. Fred and George gave him the specifics and he waited for the go-ahead. Once the signal came, Harry broke into Umbridge's office and threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace, then got down on his knees and stuck his head into Grimmauld's sitting room.

"Sirius?" he called out. A figure in a chair across the room leapt up, startled and rushed to the fireplace. It was Remus.

"Harry!" he exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

"I fancied a chat with Sirius," he said, suddenly realizing how ridiculous that sounded.

"Okay," Remus said, confused. "I- I'll go get him." He rushed from the room and returned moments later with Sirius in tow.

"Harry!" Sirius said, clearly worried. "What's happened? Are you alright?" Kneeling quickly by the fire, he could tell Harry was upset.

"Yeah, I just needed to talk to you," he said, and gave them a quick rundown on what he'd seen in the pensieve. Judging by the looks on their faces, they remembered that day.

"Harry - " Sirius began. "I'm not excusing our actions, but we were fifteen at the time."

"I'm fifteen!" Harry nearly shouted. "Everyone's always told me what a great guy my father was, but what I saw was not great! In fact, I'm not so sure Snape wasn't right about him!" Sirius didn't like that.

"No, Harry," Sirius said sternly. "Severus Snape and your father hated each other on sight - he is in no position to judge your father's character. And don't think for one moment that he didn't take his opportunities to antagonize us, either. The rivalry went both ways," he added. He took a deep breath. "Look, James was a good man, but we did some stupid things when we were kids. We were arrogant and cocky, but we had every reason to be. We were young, good athletes, good looking - we had everything going for us. Then we grew up."

Harry thought abut that. "But what about my mother? She seemed to really hate him."

The men smiled at that. "Once James deflated his head a bit, she came around," Remus said. "Harry, your parents loved each other very much. Don't ever doubt that. Whatever mistakes we made as teenagers - well, that's all they were - mistakes. We certainly weren't angels."

"Listen, Harry," Sirius said. "Next time you're here we'll sit down and I'll tell whatever you want to know about your parents, alright? The good and the bad."

Harry nodded. "Alright. I'd better go, I don't have a lot of time."

"Okay. Be safe, Harry," Sirius said.

He nodded again. "Bye," he said, pulling his head out of the fire. That conversation had done little to make Harry feel better, but he knew he didn't have time for a real talk. At least the men hadn't simply brushed him off or denied it. Brushing soot out of his hair and off his knees, he got to his feet and slipped out of Umbridge's office to find the corridor in a state of chaos. The twins hadn't told him exactly what their 'distraction' entailed, so he hadn't know what to expect, but this was brilliant. Quickly pulling out the Map, Harry sought out Ron and Hermione, who were in the Entrance Hall and part of a crowd that had gathered around Fred and George who had been cornered by Umbridge.

"I've got you now," Harry heard her say gleefully as he approached the Hall. "Oh, you're going to be sorry! I know it was you behind those fireworks the day after Dumbledore left, too. You're going to pay!"

"You know what?" said one twin. "I don't think we will. I don't see any reason to continue our academic career, do you brother?"

"You know, I don't think I do," said the other. "I think we ought to leave."

"Right," said the first twin, turning back to Umbridge. "We're leaving."

" _Accio brooms!_ " they shouted together, and the crowd ducked as the brooms came hurtling towards them, one of them dragging the chain that had attached it to the wall in Umbridge's office. Fred and George mounted and kicked off, soaring above the crowd and an outraged Headmistress. Turning, they saw Peeves hovering over the chaos, clearly delighted at all the ruckus.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves!"

* * *

 

Fred and George flew to the Shrieking Shack and dismounted. The Shack was outside of Hogwarts grounds, so there were no apparition wards around it. Not wanting to spend the better part of the night flying, they shrunk their trunks and brooms until they could fit in their pockets and, nodding to each other, disapparated. Landing moments later on the front doorstep of their destination, they didn't bother knocking, but opened the door and let themselves in. Making their way into the kitchen, they found it empty, so they continued on to the sitting room.

Sirius and Remus looked up at the sound of footsteps and, moments later, identical ginger twins stood in the doorway. The two men shared a look, then turned back to Fred and George.

" _What the hell?!_ " they said in unison.

Twin grins lit up the boys' faces and they walked into the room with an air of cockiness Sirius recognized from his own youth. They had obviously just pulled off something rather remarkable, and they knew it. As interested in _that_ story as he was, however, what he really wanted was to know exactly what was going on at Hogwarts at that moment. He and Remus had been speaking to Harry through the fire, of all things, not an hour before and now Fred and George come waltzing into Headquarters bold as brass and looking as though they didn't have a care in the world. Sirius pointed to them, then to the sofa.

"Sit," he commanded. They obeyed, still grinning. "Okay, now I want you to tell us - slowly, mind - exactly what the fuck is going on," he growled, taking a bit of pleasure in the way the boy's smiles faltered just slightly. They knew he was innocent of the crime he'd been sent to prison for, but Sirius Black was not a man to be dismissed. It was clear when he meant business.

"Well, Fred and I have been doing a lot of thinking this year - " George began.

" - and we've decided that the world of academia - " followed Fred.

" - while fine for people like our Hermione and the Professor here - "

" - is no longer where we need to be," Fred finished.

"Boys," Sirius growled, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He was already on edge from talking to Harry and rapidly losing patience with the twins.

"We've dropped out," supplied George.

"Dropped out?" Remus repeated, not quite sure he'd heard right. "Of Hogwarts?"

"Yes," Fred confirmed. "We really have thought this through, and if we want to get our business up and running, we need to be out of school."

"The joke shop's still on, then?" Remus asked.

"Absolutely," answered George. "Which is partly the reason we're here. You wouldn't happen to still be interested, would you?" he asked Sirius.

Sirius was quiet for a moment. "I'll make you a deal, boys," he said. "You tell me _everything_ you know about Harry and Umbridge and the condition of the school, and I will be your financial backer. Deal?"

The twins agreed immediately and enthusiastically and began filling the men in on the goings on at the school. Some of it Sirius and Remus already knew about from mirror chats with Harry, but since Harry apparently didn't have the mirror anymore (and Fred and George confirmed this), information had been infrequent at best. Fred and George told them all about the day after the DA was caught - how they were all interviewed personally by Umbridge who tried to slip them Veritaserum, how she'd made herself Headmistress and brought out a slew of new 'Educational Decrees', how she'd created the 'Inquisitorial Squad', and how they'd let off a box full of their fireworks that day to properly initiate their new Headmistress.

The men laughed as Fred and George told them about none of the other teachers helping Umbridge get rid of the sparklers, claiming that they weren't sure if they had the _authority_ to take care of them themselves and how they had made the fireworks to reject Umbridge's magic. They didn't know much about Harry's lessons with Snape except that they were over. Sirius and Remus exchanged a worried look about that, but there was not much they could do about it now.

"Thanks," Sirius said, feeling slightly better now that he had the information Dumbledore was so loathe to give. "Now, about the joke shop?"

"Well, George and I have found a shop in Diagon Alley and we've already contacted the owner, but we do need funds," Fred admitted.

"Right," George said. "We've got business plans and everything, Sirius, if you want to see them."

"Yeah, I do," Sirius answered. "Why don't you show Messer Moony here some of your stuff while I look over your paperwork?"

George handed over the paperwork to Sirius while Fred returned their trunks back to their original size and began pulling things out to show to Remus. Sirius had told Remus about the merchandise the twins had come up with after his late-night meeting with the boys in their room during the summer, but Remus hadn't seen anything except the punching telescope that gave Hermione a black eye. The twins had been very quiet about their inventions since the last run-in with Molly, so he was quite surprised to see their full line of products.

There were fireworks, fake wands, the punching telescope (with bruise salve), skiving snackboxes for getting out of class, decoy detonators for making a quick getaway and even a prototype for a shield hat which, in theory, would protect the wearer from mild hexes and jinxes. They hadn't perfected that yet, but it was a serious product that they wanted to make and sell, and they let Remus look over their notes to see if he could find out where they were going wrong. He recommended a few specialty shield charms, and gave them the names of a few books that might help.

"You're, ah - not going to tell our mother we're here, are you?" Fred asked while putting their stuff away.

Sirius and Remus looked at each other. "She doesn't know about any of this, does she?" Sirius asked.

"Er - no," George admitted. "We were hoping to do what we needed to do and tell her about it later."

"How much later?" Remus asked.

"When there was absolutely nothing she could do about it," Fred said.

"So you weren't planning on going back to the Burrow tonight," Sirius ventured. Identical heads shook. "So you wanted to stay here until you could move into this Diagon Alley shop?" he pressed. Nods. Sirius sighed. He didn't like the idea of lying to Molly - about her children, no less - but she hadn't asked him about their whereabouts yet, so until she did, he wasn't lying to her. Technically. On the other hand, the boys were of age and serious about their chosen business venture. They deserved the chance to make it happen without her meddling. And Sirius was absolutely certain she would try to put a stop to it if she knew about this. He looked at Remus.

"Your house, my friend," Remus said with a shrug. "And your bollocks," he added, smiling when Sirius grimaced.

"Fine," Sirius said finally. "You know where your bedroom is."

"Thanks, Sirius - !"

"Yeah, mate - thanks!"

"You're the best!"

"We won't be here long!"

"We promise!"

"And we'll deal with mum - "

"Eventually - "

"And make it clear we forced you into it - "

"We take full responsibility - "

"Oh, shut up, the both of you!" Sirius shouted, but he couldn't hide his grin. "Moony," he said, pulling out his money bag. "Why don't you go get us some food? Enough for four, apparently."

Remus chuckled. "My pleasure, Padfoot," getting up. "Any requests?" he asked, regretting it immediately as a litany of suggestions came his way. Shaking his head, he walked out of the room and grabbed his jacket. "Moony's choice it is, then," he said to himself, shutting the front door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I know this may read as a bit of a filler chapter, but we are getting into heavily canon events, so there's really no way to avoid certain scenes that are essential to the original story and to mine. Also, I know Grawp comes into the story right about now, but to make it easier on myself, he doesn't exist. At least for now. Maybe later. But probably not :)
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	35. Exams And Visions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: We will get to the Department of Mysteries next, but I haven't written any 'alone-time' for my main characters for a while, so I thought I'd put some in here. There's been so much Harry/Ron/Hermione going on that it's been easy to forget that I'm writing a Sirius/OC story. I also wanted to move Remus/Tonks along just a bit, so everyone gets a moment here. 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling. This includes any dialogue that may have been in the books. I'm trying very hard not to quote verbatim, but it may occasionally happen. I DO NOT OWN ANY CANON CHARACTERS, SITUATIONS OR DIALOGUE.

"So, basically it's a free-for-all up there," said Sirius, trying to make sense of the chaos at the school that Tonks had just reported.

After Dumbledore's departure for parts unknown, Kingsley and Mad-Eye had taken over day-to-day operations for the Order, and had sent the pink-haired Auror to Hogsmeade on several occasions over the last few weeks to 'asses the situation'. Morphing herself into an old crone (one of her favorite disguises), she'd wander around the village for a while and then have a nice, long conversation with Madam Rosemerta, who'd give her all sorts of information. After that, she'd go up to the Hog's Head to visit Aberforth, thinking that he may have some news from Dumbledore. He never did, but during her last visit, he did say that he'd heard a rumour about trolls moving through the highlands, and that was not good. Trolls were difficult at the best of times, and these were not the best of times.

When she'd finished her last 'assessment', Tonks headed back to headquarters to make her report and had given Remus quite a start. She hadn't gotten around to morphing herself back into Tonks before she'd walked into the kitchen and Remus had drawn his wand on her before catching her scent and realizing who she was. Tonks did her best not to laugh as she watched his nose twitch slightly, then his face relax as he recognized her. "Wotcher, Remus!" she said, changing back with a grin. He'd smiled at her and his ears turned red, relieved that she hadn't seemed disgusted at him recognizing her by scent.

"I don't like it either, Sirius," said Kingsley, "but right now there's not much we can do. Until we can figure out a way to overthrow Umbridge, the best we can do is be vigilant and constantly at the ready."

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody barked, making everyone jump.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Mad-Eye!" Sirius shouted back, already jumpy after Tonks' report. Molly glared at him for his outburst and he rolled his eyes.

"Well, I think that wraps things up for tonight. Oh, Remus, would you mind taking guard duty with Tonks next week?" Kingsley asked. They'd been taking the shift in pairs since Arthur's attack and, even though Remus wasn't a Ministry employee, he'd been helping out as well. Remus couldn't get into the Ministry after hours by himself, but as long as he was _with_ a Ministry employee he could remain undetected.

Remus nodded. "Sure, Kingsley," he answered, not noticing the very pleased look on Tonks' face or the knowing grins that Sirius and Jeannie sent her way.

"Excellent," Kingsley said. "Now, I think we're done here. Goodnight everyone," he said, as the Order members began to go their separate ways.

"You two sticking around?" Sirius asked Jeannie and Tonks when they didn't get up to leave.

"Yeah, thought we might," Tonks said as they moved down the table to sit next to their Marauders.

Sirius nodded. "Winky?" he called. The elf appeared instantly at his side. "Jeannie and Tonks are staying. Would you make sure there is enough for four, please?"

"Yes sir!" Winky nodded. "Will Mister Fred and Mister George be joining you as well?" she asked.

"I don't believe so," Sirius said, looking up quickly to make sure Molly and Arthur had left. It was now the middle of June, and had been nearly two months since the boys had pulled their stunt with Umbridge and left school, and even though they had officially moved in to their shop in Diagon Alley and confessed to their mother, things were still a bit strained. Molly had, as expected, thrown an enormous fit - screaming about the shame the boys had brought upon the family and how she was certain nothing good would come of it.

Then she'd found out that Sirius had let the boys stay at Grimmauld while they got their things sorted out. Sirius and Molly hadn't had a fight like that since the previous summer, when Sirius insisted on seeing Harry to King's Cross. Even though Fred and George swore up and down that they didn't really give Sirius a choice in the matter, Molly still accused him of enabling their childish behaviour. Sirius stood and took the abuse, like he'd known he'd have to eventually, but when she stated that he'd betrayed her by keeping her in the dark about her own children, he'd had enough, and that's when the real fun began.

Sirius was, understandably, very touchy about being called a traitor, and was not going to take that from anyone - including Molly Weasley. Yes, she had fed everyone over the previous summer and yes, she had taken over most of the cleaning of the house to make it habitable and yes, Sirius was really quiet fond of the matriarch, but that didn't change the fact that she was a meddler and had no problem doing all she could to put a stop to things she didn't like - whether or not she was in the right. The two ended up having a spectacular row, with many regrettable things said, and it had ended with Sirius having to comfort Molly like he'd done over Christmas when Arthur and Jeannie were injured. Molly was afraid, more than anything, and Sirius understood that. They'd parted on good terms, but neither wanted to push the issue.

All the paperwork had been signed and a fair amount of Sirius' gold had changed hands, and the twins had opened officially on the first of June. It had been a lot of work, but Fred and George had shown everyone just how serious they were by working from dawn to dusk to get everything ready. They hadn't asked for any help, but Jeannie and Remus had popped by once or twice to lend a hand and, when they decided the boys were working too hard, they'd brought them back to Grimmauld for supper before insisting that they go to bed.

The work paid off, though, and Fred and George opened _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes: Purveyors Of Aides To Magical Mischief Makers_ on June first, so as to get a good head start before the end of school. They wanted to know what they were doing before the students started coming in. Things had gone so well over the first couple of weeks that the boys were talking about hiring an assistant. Several people had applied, and they were starting interviews the next week.

"The shop still going well?" Sirius asked the table at large, since he was the only one who hadn't been by.

"Oh, yes," Remus answered, finishing his pork chop. "They're raking in the galleons."

"Cant' wait to see it," Sirius said longingly, pushing away his plate and reaching for his glass of wine.

"I'll take some pictures for you next time I'm over there," Tonks said, grinning at her cousin. Sirius made a face at her.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Jeannie said. "The store's ridiculous, Sirius - you've got to see it."

An hour later and Jeannie was ready to head to bed. With Sirius, that is. She leaned back in her chair and placed her foot on his thigh under the table. He looked at her and smirked. She raised an eyebrow at him and moved her foot a little higher. Sirius narrowed his eyes at her as she ran her foot over his crotch. His smile was dark and full of promise as he reached down and covered her foot with his hand, forcing her to increase the pressure. Jeannie bit her lip as she felt him harden.

"Would you like us to leave or are you going to take this upstairs?" Remus asked mildly, causing Jeannie to jump slightly. He was grateful when Sirius stood, held his hand out to Jeannie - who took it, and they left the kitchen without another word. Remus ran a hand over his face. "I swear sometimes I think I could live in the middle of a bordello and see less sex," he said, not realizing he'd voiced this out loud until Tonks dissolved into giggles.

"Hey, at least they're getting some!" she said, still laughing. "You and I have to suffer alone. Well - I'm assuming you don't have a girlfriend."

Remus flushed slightly. "No, of course I don't," he said.

"Why 'of course'?" Tonks asked.

Remus blinked at her. "Girlfriends are few and far between when one is a werewolf," he explained, trying to sound factual rather than self-pitying. "But why are you - ah - 'suffering alone'?"

"Well, the war has rather put a damper on certain activities," Tonks answered, and Remus nodded. "But, you know, I'm actually fairly picky."

"Oh, well - I didn't mean to imply that you weren't," Remus said quickly. He didn't want her thinking that he considered her easy or slutty. "What I meant was that you're young and attractive. There must be several interested parties."

"There are," she said. "Until they get me alone. Then they want someone else."

Remus frowned. "I don't understand. If they want someone else, why pursue you?"

Tonks snorted. "Because I can be anyone," she said, as if it were obvious. "You feel like blonde tonight, I can be blonde," she said, changing her hair accordingly. "You want ginger, I can be ginger." Another change. "You want these bigger - " she stopped and pushed her chest out to demonstrate.

"I - I get it," Remus stuttered, raising his hand to stop her. "Have men really asked you to change yourself when you're... er - ?" He raised his eyebrows in question.

"When we're naked?" she asked bluntly. "Yeah, and the last one got a nasty case of warts for it, too."

"Good!" Remus said instantly. He couldn't think of anything more humiliating that what she was describing. "You absolutely should have hexed him! That's ridiculous!"

"Hey, I agree, but when everyone knows you're a metamorphmagus, there are bound to be people like that," Tonks said. "I'll bet there are a few women out there who would want you _because_ you're a werewolf."

Remus flushed and grimaced. He had, in fact run across a woman like that when he'd been much younger, and even though he'd enjoyed her 'company' very much during the three days leading up to the full moon, he'd been disgusted with himself and with her once he was reasonable again and no longer driven by his most basest instincts. Tonks understood his facial expression.

"Exactly," she said. "I admit, with my second boyfriend I gave in to that a couple of times, but I hated it and it made the sex terrible. Would you believe he actually had the stones to complain one time after sex that I hadn't been able to hold the form I'd taken. Honestly! I'd finally gotten an orgasm out of it and he was unhappy that I couldn't concentrate enough to keep an unnatural form!" Tonks shook her head. "Sorry," she added, noticing how red Remus had turned during her outburst.

"No, that's alright," he said, smiling despite his flush. "I did share a dorm with a teenaged Sirius Black, after all. This sort of talk really shouldn't bother me."

Tonks shrugged. "Anyway, I cried the rest of the night and broke up with him the next day. I've been really picky about my partners ever since."

"Good," Remus said. "You're intelligent, capable and attractive, Tonks. You shouldn't have to settle for bastards."

She smiled softly at him. "Thank you," she said.

"For what?" Remus asked, cocking his head.

"For being you," she said. Tonks got up and walked around the table, wrapped one arm around his shoulders and leaned in to kiss his cheek. Startled, Remus turned wide eyes on her, and she thought about apologizing and moving away, but something in his look stopped her. He looked shocked, yes, but he also looked... hungry? Shy, certainly, but also... needy? Wanting? She watched as his gaze flickered from her eyes to her mouth and back again. The corner of her mouth twitched as she made her decision. Leaning in again, she didn't bother aiming for his cheek, but brushed her lips softly against his, feeling his moustache tickle her.

Pulling back, she watched his eyes flutter open. She felt dizzy and she knew it had nothing to do with the wine she'd drunk. She'd only had one glass, after all. Not nearly enough to blame the dizziness on the alcohol. Looking into his eyes, she almost drowned in the blue pools. His breath was hot and quick against her face and Tonks knew she needed to get out of there before she did something really stupid.

"Goodnight," she whispered, standing and walking out of the kitchen, leaving a very confused and aroused werewolf in her wake.

* * *

 

Upstairs, things were much hotter. Sirius had practically dragged Jeannie up the stairs and once they were in his bedroom, he slammed her against the door. Pulling his wand out, he cast the usual charms and divested them of clothing, then tossed his wand to the side and slid his hands under Jeannie's arse, lifting her. She instinctually wrapped her legs around him, moaning as his cock immediately came into contact with her cunt.

Grinding against each other, Sirius took her mouth, plundering the hot depths as he lined himself up. Thrusting hard, he sheathed himself in one move and she squealed at the intrusion. Resting her head against the door, Jeannie let Sirius set the pace. Quick and hard, that's the mood he was in. He slammed into her repeatedly, grunting with each thrust and when he felt himself getting close, he reached between them to work her clit. Within moments, she seized up, clawing at his back and clamping down on his cock. Two more thrusts and he joined her, his moans echoing hers as he came.

Panting, Sirius gathered Jeannie up, turned around and made his way to the bed, pulling out and depositing her on his sheets. He ran a hand through his hair, then climbed in beside her, covering them both before wrapping an arm around her and kissing her temple.

"Goodnight, Sirius," Jeannie panted.

"'Night, baby," Sirius answered, his eyes fluttering closed, completely and blissfully unaware of what was happening at Hogwarts at that very moment.

* * *

 

"What on earth?" Minerva said to herself, looking out of her office window. Gazing out towards Hagrid's hut, the elderly witch could see several figures making their way across the Hogwarts grounds, heading in the direction of the groundskeeper's domicile. Setting aside the essays she was grading, Minerva swept out of her office and made her way out of the castle.

Not getting there in time to intercept the intruders, she heard the raised voices, recognized the squat witch in front as their Headmistress and watched as Hagrid literally threw two of them away from his hut. That's when the wands came out. Several red stunning spells were shot in Hagrid's direction, but his giant blood was able to repel them. With a shout, Minerva ran to his rescue, only to find herself on the receiving end of four stunners. Dropping to the ground, she never heard the shouts of outrage floating down from the Astronomy Tower where the fifth year students were taking their Astronomy O.W.L.

* * *

 

"Oh!" Hermione gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she watched the red jets of light hit Professor McGonagall squarely in the chest. Beside her, Harry and Ron were in similar states of shock, and let out shouts as their professor fell.

"Can you see who's down there?" Harry asked her.

Hermione shook her head. "No, but I'll bet you anything that Umbridge is behind it."

Ron snorted. "Of course she is - she's probably leading the charge," he said, disgusted.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "They're doing this now because she doesn't want Hagrid getting the attention Trelawney had. Remember that?"

Hermione and Ron both nodded. Umbridge had decided, after 'reviewing' all the professors, that Dumbledore was incapable of hiring competent staff, so yet another Educational Decree had come down from on high, and the Hogwarts High Inquisitor had taken it upon herself to expel the Divination Professor. Trelawney's things had been forcibly packed, and she was escorted out into the courtyard, making quite a scene until Dumbledore came to her rescue. He'd conceded that Umbridge now had the authority to fire his teachers, but he insisted that she did not have the authority to force them off the premises.

By now, classes had ended for the day, and the entire school had gathered to watch the spectacle. Umbridge was forced to let Trelawney stay, but she made it clear that she would change that as soon as she could. McGonagall had rushed to Trelawney's side, wrapped her arms around the harmless fraud, and escorted her back into the castle, floating the trunks behind them.

"Ten minutes!" said Professor Sinistra, reminding them that they were in the middle of an exam. By now, though, every student was watching the scene below them and clearly couldn't care less about Astronomy. "Everyone back to your parchments," she said, as what appeared to be Madam Pomfrey came running out of the castle to fetch McGonagall.

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks and hurriedly finished their O.W.L. They knew they couldn't do anything to help and making an issue of it would probably just cause trouble for them. If there was anything Harry needed less of, it was trouble. Once the exam was over, they rushed back to Gryffindor Tower and plastered themselves to the window, but the excitement was over for the night. Madam Pomfrey had, presumably, gotten McGonagall to the Hospital Wing, and they knew Hagrid had gotten away because they'd watched him disappear past the gates.

By the time Harry made his way to his History of Magic O.W.L. the next afternoon with Ron and Hermione, he was exhausted. They'd stayed up most of the night talking about McGonagall and Umbridge, and revising for the next day's exams, and when they finally had gone to bed, he'd tossed and turned, failing to get any real rest. Yawning once again, Harry took his seat. His exam was already on the desk in front of him, so he took out his quill and began.

_'The Goblin Rebellion of 1612 was fought primarily in Hogsmeade... '_

Harry felt his eyes threatening to shut involuntarily as he tried to remember the cause of the rebellion. _Probably something to do with goblin's rights,_ he thought. Yeah, that sounded good. He got through about two-thirds of his exam before his weariness and the heat of the day finally overtook him. Harry's quill slowly slipped through his fingers, and he laid his head on his arms without even realizing it.

_He recognized this room. This was the room that was beyond the door he dreamed constantly about. Row after row of shelves stretching from floor to ceiling, and on those shelves was nothing but glass orbs which appeared to be filled with smoke. The room was dark, and Harry instinctively knew he was in the Ministy and deep underground. Marble tile lined the floor and the walls and the few lamps gave the room an eerie, menacing look._

_Harry turned around at the sound of a whimper. A figure lay on the floor, somehow familiar, but not close enough for Harry to recognize him. As Harry floated towards the figure he realized that he was once again seeing things from Voldemort's point of view. He recognized the arm held out in front of him, the grey robe, the cruel-looking wand and the bony fingers wrapped tightly around it._

_"You're going to get it for me," Voldemort hissed, floating closer to the figure on the floor._

_"Nooo," the figure whispered. Harry tried to look closer, but he was seeing things through Voldemort's eyes, so he still didn't know who the figure was. He looked so familiar, though. Harry could see black, wavy hair, a medium build, expensive but outdated robes... He knew this man!_

_"Oh, yes. You will get it for me," Voldemort promised as the figure shook his head again._

_"I'll die first," the man swore._

_Voldemort seemed to find this very funny. He laughed, his voice high and cruel. "Yes, you will die," he said easily. "But first you will get the prophecy."_

_"No," the man said once again._

_"Crucio!" Voldemort said, flicking his wand. The man screamed and writhed, flipping onto his back and Harry finally had an unobstructed view of his face. Panic took over and he screamed inside his head, the shock being enough to pull him from the vision._

Harry's eyes snapped open. He was in the middle of the Great hall where they'd been taking their History of Magic exam. Ron and Hermione were kneeling beside him, looking worried. He could feel tear tracks on his face, but he didn't care at this moment. Meeting Hermione's eyes, he opened his mouth to speak.

" _Sirius!_ " he breathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Uh-oh! 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	36. Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: As promised, the battle in the Department of Mysteries finally happens. This chapter is the lead-up to the fight mostly from various points of view, and the next chapter is the battle itself. I know it took a long time to get here, and I sincerely hope you guys think it was worth it! 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling. This includes any dialogue that may have been in the books. I'm trying very hard not to quote verbatim, but it may occasionally happen. I DO NOT OWN ANY CANON CHARACTERS, SITUATIONS OR DIALOGUE.

Sirius was not well. Word had come early that morning that Minerva had been taken to St. Mungo's on account of four stunners to the chest, courtesy of Umbridge and her team. On top of that, Hagrid was now on the lam, presumably with Dumbledore, and the raven-haired wizard had spent the next several hours pacing any room he happened to find himself in, aggravating everyone he came across, and clutching the two-way mirror. The feel of the object gave him a small amount of comfort, even though he knew that Harry had somehow misplaced his.

He was irritated. Not at Harry for losing the mirror, but at the situation. If there was ever a time he needed to be closer to his godson - maybe pacing in one of Rosemerta's rooms at The Three Broomsticks instead - rather than sitting here with his thumb up his arse, waiting for someone else to tell him what the fuck was going on... ! With a frustrated growl, he stood and turned around, kicking the chair he'd been sitting on. It sailed across the kitchen and hit the doorframe, smashing into pieces and angering the grizzled old Auror that happened to be just outside the doorway.

"Dammit, Sirius!" Moody barked. "Pull yourself together, man! You're no use to anyone if you go mad now!"

"Well, what the fuck am I supposed to do, Alastor?" Sirius shouted back, just about at the breaking point. "I'm trapped here in this hell-hole while Hogwarts is under the rule of a psychotic toad and there's nobody left to stand up to her!"

Moody moved towards Sirius menacingly. He'd been listening to this all day. "If you don't get your shit together, Black, I swear to Merlin I'll put you in a body-bind and leave you in your mother's bedroom," he growled, both eyes fixed on the animagus. Sirius growled back and took a step forward. Things could have gotten very messy if Tonks and Jeannie hadn't chosen that time to return.

"What the hell's going on?" Tonks asked, looking warily between her cousin and her mentor. Jeannie stood beside her in the doorway, ready to interfere if necessary.

"Jones!" Moody barked. "Get him out of here! The last thing I need is to babysit a hyperactive mutt."

" _'Get him out of here?'_ " Jeannie repeated.

"Yes. Don't you have somewhere you take him when he needs to be walked?" Moody asked, turning his head to face her and ignoring Sirius renewed growls.

"I'm staying right fucking here," Sirius interrupted, pointing at the floor to emphasize his statement.

"No you're not, and that's an order," Moody said. "If you're needed, I'll send word, but until then you're to stay with Jones and do whatever you need to do to simmer down!"

"Come on, Sirius," Jeannie said, as Sirius opened his mouth to argue. "Remus will contact us if we need to come back."

Sirius paused as if weighing the pros and cons. With one last filthy glare to Mad-Eye, though, he stood down and let Jeannie lead him to the fireplace. Grabbing a pinch of floo powder, he went first. Coming out of the fire in Jeannie's shop, he looked around. She'd gotten some work done since the last time he'd been over. The 'work-out equipment' had been set up, and she'd turned the rest of the room into a sitting area. A sofa and a coffee table that sat facing the far wall were the extent of the furniture that was left down here, and he assumed she'd fit the rest upstairs in the living quarters of the building. A _whoosh_ from behind him signalled her entrance.

"Have you ever seen one of these?" she asked, walking past him and gesturing to one of her Muggle contraptions that sat behind the sofa.

He frowned. "I don't think so. What is it?" he asked, watching her fiddle with the thing.

"It's called a projector. You play movies on it," she explained.

"Movies?" he asked blankly. "Oh, those things Muggles watch with moving pictures? Like our portraits, but bigger?"

Jeannie nodded. "Have you ever seen a movie?" He shook his head. "Come on," she said, sitting on the sofa and dimming the lights with her wand.

Sirius took the opposite end of the sofa and looked at her. "Now what?" he asked, confused.

Jeannie grinned. "Watch the wall," she said, reaching behind her and tapping the projector.

* * *

 

Harry was not well. He still had not stopped shaking from the shock of his - dream? vision? - and no matter how many times Hermione made the case that it may be a false vision, deliberately planted in his head so that he'd do something stupid, he felt that didn't matter. Frankly, he didn't care if it was a trap - if there was even the most remote possibility it wasn't, he needed to go. Sirius had broken out of prison and lived as a fugitive for nearly three years now to make sure that he was available _if_ Harry needed him, and Harry was not going to sit around and watch while Sirius was tortured and killed!

Hearing the portrait hole open from behind him, he stopped his pacing of the Gryffindor Common Room and turned around to see Ginny walk in, followed by Ron and Hermione, the latter carrying his Invisibility Cloak. Hermione and Ron looked frustrated, but Ginny's face held the same expression that Fred and George had when they'd finally figured out how to get away with a particularly good prank.

"The DA's coming to the rescue," Ginny said. Harry frowned in confusion. "Luna, Neville and I are going to create a disturbance so that you can break into Umbridge's office and floo Sirius again," she explained.

"So you weren't able to _Accio_ the mirror?" Harry asked Hermione, who shook her head. In a last ditch effort to retrieve the lost mirror, Hermione and Ron had gone to the seventh floor under the Invisibility Cloak and stood just outside Umbridge's newly-erected wards, trying to summon the mirror from the Room of Requirement, but it seemed that for the first time ever, the room was not cooperating.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said, looking close to tears. Her first idea had been to go to McGonagall, but when they got to the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey had informed them that McGonagall had been transferred to St. Mungo's that morning, so they'd moved on to plan b.

" _I'm_ the one who lost the thing," Harry said bitterly, cursing himself once again for his stupidity. He looked at Ginny. "So, how is this going to work?"

Ginny gave him a quick run-down of the plan and they got moving. It was simple enough. Neville and Luna would create a diversion by setting off some Weasley products somewhere far away from Umbridge's office, giving Harry time to break in and use her fireplace. Ron and Hermione would remain with Harry, keeping an eye on things while he was busy talking to Sirius.

Huddling under the Cloak, Harry, Ron and Hermione waited around the corner from Umbridge's office in order to see when she left. Seconds after hearing a loud _bang!_ from somewhere in the castle, the toad herself flew out of her office and, mercifully, in the opposite direction from the three invisible teenagers. They rushed to her door, Harry pulled out the pocket-knife Sirius had given him for Christmas, and once the door was open, they hurried inside where Harry tossed some floo powder in the fire and stuck his head in.

"Sirius! _Sirius!_ " he shouted into the sitting room, startling Winky. She jumped violently, then headed over to the fireplace.

"Mister Harry needs Mister Sirius?" she squeaked.

"Yes! Winky, it's an emergency! I need to speak with Sirius!"

Winky's ears drooped. "Mister Sirius is out, Mister Harry," she said.

" _What?!_ " Harry asked, his worst fears coming true. "Winky, where is he?"

"Winky cannot say, Mister Harry. Only that Mister Sirius is out," she answered, giving him a sorrowful look at not being able to obey.

"Winky, it's an emergency! Please tell me where he's gone!" Harry begged.

"Winky cannot say, Mister Harry, but I can - "

Unfortunately, Harry never got to hear what Winky could do as he was suddenly hauled out of the fireplace and thrown to the floor. Blinking, he looked up into the face of the very last person he wanted to come into contact with that night.

"Well, well, well - Mister Potter," Dolores Umbridge simpered. "What, may I ask, were you doing in my fireplace? Hmm? Trying to contact Dumbledore, perhaps?"

Harry lay, frozen, on the floor as Umbridge bent over him, that sickeningly sweet smile on her face. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna and Ginny all being held by members of the Inquisitorial Squad, and Neville was sporting a bloody lip. He watched as Umbridge fingered her wand.

"Did you know, Mister Potter, that the Minister has approved new methods of questioning for students who are continually out of order?"

* * *

 

Two movies and one quick shag later, and Sirius was feeling slightly more relaxed. They hadn't heard anything from anybody yet, but he felt that no news was good news. Surely if things had gone south, Remus would have contacted him. He still hadn't been able to shake the feeling of dread that had been plaguing him since waking up that morning, but Jeannie was proving to be quite handy in the distraction department.

When they'd first sat down to watch a movie, Sirius hadn't been able to keep still. His foot threatened to tap a hole in her rug and his fingers drummed incessantly on the armrest of the sofa. After about fifteen minutes of this, Jeannie'd had enough, and got up to stand before him. Giving him a sly smirk, she'd knelt slowly, then reached for the button on his jeans. Pulling out his cock, she pumped him, quickly bringing him to full hardness, then wrapped her lips around him. Sirius let her continue for a while, then pulled her off his cock and onto his lap. She rode him to their completion, their shouts echoing in the cavernous space.

After that, Jeannie had restarted the movie and snuggled up to Sirius, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rested his head on hers as she explained what they were watching. He remembered thinking briefly that Arthur would be green with jealousy if he knew where Sirius was at that moment. Arthur's fingers would be positively itching to pick through Jeannie's 'projector'.

Sirius had quite enjoyed the movies, too. The first had been about a young princess who was tired of the royal life, so she runs away. By coincidence, she meets up with a reporter who recognizes her and shows her around town with the intention of getting an exclusive story, unbeknownst to her. The second movie was with the same girl. In that one, she overhears a conversation between her father, who is a private detective, and one of his clients, who is going to shoot the man his wife has been having an affair with. She can't let that happen, so she goes to the condemned man's hotel room to warn him, only to begin a clandestine relationship of her own with him. Both movies had happy endings and were, accordingly to Jeannie, classics.

As the end credits rolled on the second movie, a large silver wolf patronus floated into the room. _"Better get back here,"_ was all Remus' voice had to say. Jeannie and Sirius looked at each other, then sprinted to the fireplace and floo'd back to headquarters immediately.

Remus met them in the kitchen, pacing and wringing his hands, clearly upset. He looked up as they stepped out of the fireplace.

"Moony?" Sirius asked, his voice slightly unsteady. Blue eyes met grey.

"Apparently Harry just floo'd here," Remus said.

" _'Apparently?'_ ," Sirius repeated.

Remus nodded. "I wasn't down here, I was upstairs looking over the reports on werewolf activity Alastor gave me, so I didn't speak to him. Winky did. She says that Harry asked to speak to you - said it was urgent - and that she told him that you were out. That's all she knew and the oaths Dumbledore made her take when she started working here prevented her from saying anything else anyway - ," he rambled.

"What happened then?" Jeannie broke in.

"Winky says that she was about to offer to get me since Harry clearly needed to speak to someone, but before she could, he was gone."

"Gone," Sirius said.

"Yes. From what Winky described, it sounds as though Harry was caught in whoever's floo he was using, and the owner of the floo connection took exception to his being there," Remus said. "Sirius - there's only one unwatched floo connection at Hogwarts that we know of... "

Sirius nodded. "Umbridge's."

* * *

 

Dolores Umbridge was not well. Two hours ago, she was sure that she'd finally gotten Harry Potter just where she wanted him, and now she was staring down an angry herd of Centaurs because she'd let that swotty little Granger girl get the better of her. _That little Mudblood_ , she though angrily, as the half-human, half-horse beasts circled her. It had all been a ruse. The girl's claim that they had been in touch with Dumbledore since he'd left, that he's given them the task of building a weapon, that they'd been hiding it in the Forbidden Forest... All lies, lies that she'd fallen for, lies that had landed her in her current predicament. She'd been so _stupid_!

"We have heard of you, Madam Umbridge," said the herd's leader.

" _Headmistress_ Umbridge," she corrected haughtily.

"We do not recognize your authority over the school," he countered. "It is true, we care little about the ways of man, and even less about their ways of learning, but your reputation precedes you. Even here, in the depths of the Forbidden Forest, word has reached us of your treachery, cruelty, manipulation and deceit." His voice was mild, but his tone was cold.

"Hmph! If you care so little for the ways of man, then let me go so I may take care of things. Someone has to maintain order in the world so you half-breeds can live peacefully," she said, her contempt for the herd's very existence clear.

" _Half-breeds?_ " the leader repeated. "I know how much store some witches and wizards place on blood purity, Madam Umbridge, and I know also that - in the right company - you yourself might be considered a _half-breed_."

Umbridge's eyes widened and she stuttered. "You filthy, lying beast!" she shrieked. "How dare you!"

"It is the truth, is it not?" he asked before turning his gaze to the heavens. "It is a strange night, don't you think? An evil wind blows - ," As he spoke, the trees fluttered in the breeze. He looked back to Umbridge. "Get out," he said, his voice hard and uncompromising. "Leave this Forest while you still can and never return. We will spare you this once - ," there were noises of protest at that, " - but only this once. _Leave now and never return,_ " he ended in a growl.

Umbridge briefly considered arguing. _How dare he threaten a witch and a member of the Ministry,_ she thought, but as she looked at him she knew, without a doubt, that he meant it. She'd never seen anyone or anything look so serious, and she did not fancy sticking around to call his bluff. As much as she liked to consider herself far above everyone else, even she could see that it was a losing battle to try and prove her superiority here and now. One wand against at least fifteen pissed off Centaurs - all of whom were armed with bows and arrows - were not good odds. Dolores Umbridge may have been cruel and ruthless, but she was also a self-preservationist, and she didn't want to die that night.

Turning slowly, Umbridge began walking in the direction of the castle, stopping when she heard noises around her. Apparently, the Centaurs did not trust her to leave under her own volition and were, essentially, escorting her out. As she continued, the _clop-clop_ of hooves began to grate on her nerves. It got worse the longer she walked. While she'd been following Potter and Granger, she hadn't realized how far into the Forest they'd gone.

_Clop-clop. Clop-clop. Clop-clop. Clop-clop. Clop-clop._

The sound began to vibrate through her whole being. Her breathing began to quicken and shorten at the same time. Tunnel vision blurred her view of the path. Her eyes roved continually around her, noting that the Centaurs had still not broken rank. Had she not been at the edge of her sanity, she may have admired their discipline but, as it was, all she could think about was getting out of the Forest. Her pace quickened. The hooves quickened. Her breath quickened.

Finally - _finally_ \- the turrets of the castle came into view beyond the trees. Now on the brink of a nervous breakdown, her pace quickened into a full run. The hooves quickened yet again as well, and just as the tree-line came into view, she tripped on a root, falling face-first onto the Forest floor. The hooves slowed as the herd surrounded her again. Rolling over, Umbridge looked up to see several Centaurs wearing very unsympathetic expressions. She whimpered in fear and tried to stand, but she'd twisted her ankle and fell back to the ground with a cry.

Suddenly, she heard a heavy sigh and felt hands grab the shoulders of her robes, and that was it. She screamed and thrashed, but it was no use - there was a Centaur on either side of her dragging her the rest of the way. When they reached the tree-line, the Centaurs dropped her unceremoniously just beyond it and, without another word, turned and made their way back into the Forest, ignoring her screams.

Minutes later, Madam Pomfrey came running out of the castle and collected the still-screaming woman, helping her back inside.

* * *

 

Sometime close to midnight, Snape appeared in the fireplace. He said that it appeared that Harry had had another vision, this time about Sirius being tortured and that's why he broke into Umbridge's office to use the floo. That wasn't all. Harry and several other students had somehow gotten away from Umbridge, stolen Hagrid's thestrals and were currently headed for London. According to Snape, they had a pretty good head start, so every available Order member needed to get to the Department of Mysteries as soon as possible.

Nobody was stupid enough to suggest that Sirius stay behind as the animagus was the first out the door, wand drawn, on a mission to save his godson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The two movies I described were both Audrey Hepburn movies and for those who may be interested, the first was Roman Holiday, and the second was Love In The Afternoon. Two of my all-time favorites and true classics. It seemed to fit that Jeannie would love Audrey Hepburn. Also, Ms. Rowling wrote about Dolores Umbridge on Pottermore and she is, in fact, a half-blood. She even has a squib relative. Battle next!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	37. To The Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Dun dun dun... I give you the battle in the Department of Mysteries! I hope this measures up! This was so much fun to write, and it's kinda been the whole point of the story so far, so let me know how I did!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling. This includes any dialogue that may have been in the books. I'm trying very hard not to quote verbatim, but it may occasionally happen. I DO NOT OWN ANY CANON CHARACTERS, SITUATIONS OR DIALOGUE.

The Order apparated to the visitor's entrance of the Ministry of Magic and, once inside, Tonks and Mad-Eye took the lead. The two Aurors were the most familiar with the more secret places of the Ministry, so the rest of the Order naturally fell in line behind them. Racing up one corridor, then down another, they finally made it to the very bowels of the place. Looking around, Sirius recognized it. It was not far from the room he'd been dragged into and convicted - sans trial - nearly fifteen years before. He knew behind a door to his right sat the Wizengamot jury, but Tonks and Moody turned left, so he followed.

"This way!" Tonks shouted, leading them down a corridor of dark marble, their shoes making a deafening racket against the cold stone, but it was nothing compared to the rushing in his ears. A black door sat at the end of the corridor and the Aurors flew through it, waving their wands to take down the wards on the room as they ran. Quickly and efficiently, they moved deeper into the Department of Mysteries, searching for any sign of unrest until finally making it to the Hall of Prophecies.

The door to the Hall of Prophecies was intact and gave no indication of the wreckage they found once inside. They were close. Sirius could feel it, and the destruction all around them proved it. There had been fighting here. Shattered glass covered the floor, shelves several stories high had been toppled and smoke rose from the broken orbs; it was all that was left of the prophecy they once contained.

Hearing a scream of pain, they ran towards the sound. Leaping over piles of debris, they burst through another set of doors and ran inside. The room looked a bit like an amphitheater, with steps all around leading down into a pit. In the middle of the pit was a dais on which sat a large, tattered curtain held up by an archway covered in runes. The arch was the least of Sirius' worries at the moment, though, because Harry was currently in the clutches of Lucius Malfoy with Walden Macnair standing next to them. Ginny, who appeared to be limping, and two other kids Sirius didn't recognize were being held by other masked Death Eaters. Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen.

Of the two kids Sirius didn't know, one was a girl about Ginny's size, with long, blonde hair and a rather disinterested look on her face despite a small trickle of blood creeping down her forehead and a wand at her throat, and the other was a boy that looked like someone Sirius felt he should recognize, but couldn't place. He was on the floor with a broken nose and Sirius' dear cousin Bellatrix standing over him, wand in hand and clearly enjoying herself. It had been this boy's scream that they'd heard.

The fight paused for a moment, both sides taking note of the other, then resumed at full speed. Growling, Sirius flew down the steps and into the fray, reaching Harry just as he and the other boy freed themselves from Malfoy and Macnair. Sirius told Harry to grab the other boy and get out of there, but there was no way out just then, so they'd moved to stand back-to-back in battle position, throwing spells in opposite directions like Sirius had done on countless occasions with Harry's father. The wave of nostalgia was so strong that he'd used the wrong name without even realizing it while praising a particularly well-placed hex.

"Good one, James!" he said, not able to see the strange look on his godson's face.

* * *

 

Jeannie's heart was pounding and her breathing was uneven as she took in the sight before her. Despite being a very talented dueler, she'd never been in battle before and the chaos of a real fight was difficult for her to deal with. Still, she sprinted down the steps, hot on Sirius' heels and started throwing any and all spells she could think of at any arsehole in a mask. _At least we can spot the enemy,_ she thought, diving behind a stone bench to avoid a jet of green light.

Looking up, she realized she was crouching toe-to-toe with Harry and one of his school mates who were staring at the ground, fixated. On closer inspection, Jeannie saw shattered glass with smoke rising from it. Harry had been holding the prophecy, but somehow it had broken.

"Did you hear any of it?" she shouted. Harry turned and looked at her, then shook his head. The other boy pointed to the door.

"Dubbledore!" he said and, sure enough, Albus Dumbledore was standing in the doorway.

"Thank Merlin," Jeannie breathed, then looked at the boys. "When I tell you, run to Dumbledore!" she said and they nodded. "Wait - ," she raised her wand at Harry's friend and with a quick Episkey, mended his broken nose. He smiled at her in thanks. "Okay - one, two, THREE!" she shouted, leaping out from her hiding place and resuming the fight, trusting the boys to stay behind her.

* * *

 

Sirius hadn't felt this alive in years. He was slightly rusty, and had a couple of scratches to prove it, but he hadn't lost his touch. Bobbing and weaving, ducking and repelling, throwing spells back at every available opportunity - he had to admit, he was having fun. After getting close enough to punch Malfoy in the nose and satisfy his taste for Muggle fighting, he'd taken him down with his wand, conjuring ropes to hold the slippery Slytherin for the Aurors. Next he'd moved on to Macnair, who he knew had also been roughing up Harry, and Sirius couldn't have that. Dodging Macnair's _Crucio_ , Sirius used some very juvenile, but surprisingly effective jinxes to take care of him.

_'Death Eaters never remember the small stuff,'_ he thought, as he tripped another masked menace and bound him with ropes as well, pocketing his wand as a trophy.

"Hello, cousin!" Sirius suddenly heard from behind him. Recognizing that voice, he turned and faced Bellatrix. She was looking better than she had in prison, but Jeannie was right, the woman was insane. Bellatrix had one hand on her hip while the other twirled her wand and she was completely ignoring the battle raging on around her. Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius saw Tonks in a heap on the floor in the middle of a pile of rubble. Silently praying that she was still alive, he squared his shoulders.

"Dearest Bella," he called back. "How have you been, my darling? I heard a rumour that you'd been reunited with your beloved snake-face. Is that so?" he asked mockingly, easily deflecting the hex she sent his way.

"Oh, Sirius - you have no idea how well I will be rewarded when I've killed you," she answered, her face losing it's playful expression. Slashing the air with her wand, she send a jet of red light towards Sirius, who quickly raised a shield. "Shields, Sirius? Come on - play with me!"

"Oh, you want to play, Bella?" he mocked, lowering his shield and sending several spells her way. "Alright, let's play!"

* * *

 

Jeannie finally took down the Death Eater she was dueling in order to give Harry and his friend time to escape, then looked across the room. Kingsley was still battling a Death Eater of his own while Mad-Eye was making his way over to a lifeless Tonks. Sirius, however, was engaged in a fierce battle with his deranged cousin and neither looked willing to accept defeat. In fact, they had begun taunting each other. Suppressing a shudder at the sight of Bellatrix and ignoring the way the muscles in her back twinged with memories of Malfoy Manor, Jeannie watched the cousins, looking for a chance to enter the battle and tip the scales.

It quickly became clear that if she wanted to help take down the crazy bitch, she was going to have to make an opportunity. As soon as she though that, the duel intensified, and Jeannie somehow knew what was going to happen before it did. Sprinting across the room and around the dais towards Sirius, she felt a sudden surge in her magic. All the righteous anger she had towards Bellatrix, all her frustration at Sirius' situation, all the unfair things that desperately needed to be righted - they all came together at once inside her and the lingering fear she'd had since getting Snape's message melted away, leaving only a feeling of enormous power and justice.

Hearing Sirius' laughter at Bellatrix missing him once again, Jeannie skidded to a halt beside him just as the psychotic witch raised her wand one last time, sending a bright green killing curse towards her cousin. Without even thinking about it, Jeannie conjured a brilliant white Patronus and moulded it into a shield that wrapped around them both. Bellatrix's Avada Kedavra hit the shield, and the air around Jeannie and Sirius glowed green for a split second as they were both thrown backwards by the power of the spell. They hit the floor and everything went black.

* * *

 

Harry and Neville stayed obediently behind Jeannie as they made their way to the doorway Dumbledore had been standing in, dodging jets of multi-coloured light along the way. Remus broke away from his opponent as Moody took over and moved to the boys, shielding them as they ran. Hearing a bark of laughter, they turned and watched just as Bellatrix cast the killing curse. The dais and the Archway stood between them and Sirius, and neither Harry nor Remus could get a clear view. They saw the jet of green light leave the witch's wand and fly towards Sirius - who was now hidden from sight - , saw the flash of white, then green as the air crackled from the force of the spell, and saw the veil on the dais ripple as if in a breeze.

Harry's world stopped. Suddenly he didn't care that he was in the middle of a duel with Death Eaters in the middle of the Ministry in the middle of the night with his friends in danger all around him. He didn't care that they needed to get out of there as soon as possible. He didn't care that, being that close to Dumbledore, he was as close to safety as he'd been all night. All he cared about was the witch that was currently jumping up and down in joy at having killed her cousin and Harry's godfather. Harry saw red.

Lunging forward, he was grabbed from behind, Remus wrapping strong arms around him and telling him there was nothing he could do, that Sirius was dead. Harry shook his head and shouted. It wasn't true. Remus was lying. Sirius was just on the other side of that veil. He shouted for Sirius, willing him to step out from behind the curtain, but nothing happened. It wasn't right - Sirius always came when Harry called for him. He'd never not been there when Harry needed him.

With an almighty shove, Harry threw the werewolf off him and ran towards Bellatrix, who had finally noticed Dumbledore and was attempting to make her escape. Seeing him coming, she ran through the corridors of the Ministry and into the Atrium, chanting _'I killed Sirius Black! I killed Sirius Black!'_ in a high sing-song voice that made Harry's skin crawl. He felt an anger and hatred beyond anything he'd ever felt before, and for the first time in his Wizarding life, Harry raised his wand to cause pain.

* * *

 

Remus hung his head. It was so very wrong that he should be the last Marauder. This whole fiasco was so very _wrong_. Wearily, he made his way down the steps to the middle of the room. He needed to get a closer look at this veil. If it was the one he'd read about in ancient arithmancy texts, then this would be the Death Room. _Aptly named,_ Remus thought sadly. Coming around the dais, he found himself needing to see the spot Sirius fell. Instead of finding nothing as he expected, since he'd seen the veil flutter, a boot suddenly came into view.

Not daring to hope, Remus moved to the bodies on the floor, grateful that at least this time they had a body to bury. Too many times during the first war, people were simply presumed dead - wands mysteriously returned snapped in half, but the actual person that belonged to said wand was rarely recovered. Remus had been to too many funerals and memorial services where guests stood around empty caskets, the family members finding closure in burying something. He'd even been to one where the deceased had been an avid gardener, roses in particular being their specialty. Every guest at the service had brought a single rose to place in the coffin, and that's what they buried.

Kneeling between Sirius and Jeannie and fighting back emotion, Remus reached out and placed his hand on his childhood friend's chest, recoiling immediately, however, as he felt a steady heartbeat beneath his fingers. Pointing his wand at Sirius, he chocked out _'Rennervate'_ and watched in awe as Sirius gasped and opened his eyes. Remus tumbled backwards, his shock sending him scrambling away from the raven-haired wizard as Sirius blinked and looked around.

" _Fuck!_ " Remus breathed, not entirely believing what he was seeing. Sirius _should_ be dead. He _should_ have fallen through the veil. Bellatrix _should_ have killed him.

Sirius' eyes found Remus. "Moony," he greeted mildly, moving to sit up and wincing. "Shit, my head hurts. What happened?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when all Remus could answer with was a shaky, high-pitched laugh. "What?"

" _'What?'"_ Remus repeated incredulously. "What do you mean _'what'_ \- how the hell are you alive?"

Sirius' brow furrowed. "Why shouldn't I be alive?" 

"Because...! Bellatrix...! Killing Curse...!" Remus stuttered, then remembered Jeannie. "Shit!" Crawling over to her, Remus put his hand to her chest like he'd done Sirius' and, sure enough, there was life. " _Rennervate!_ " he shouted, but nothing happened. _"Rennervate,_ dammit! Come on, Jeannie!"

"Remus?" Sirius asked from behind him, his voice timid. Remus sighed.

"She's alive, Sirius, but I can't wake her up. I don't know why," he confessed. He looked over at Sirius. The animagus' expression was indecipherable.

"Remus, where's Harry?" Sirius asked, meeting Remus' eyes.

Remus pointed in the direction Harry ran. "He went that way. Chasing Bellatrix."

Sirius' face paled, but he got to his feet, shook his head - which was a little fuzzy - and started that way, leaving Remus to take care of Jeannie.

* * *

 

Hearing a roar of noise, Sirius made a sharp left and ran down a long corridor towards the commotion. To his relief he heard Dumbledore's voice casting spells he'd never heard before but the relief was short-lived as he heard another voice, this one high, cold and cruel. A voice he hadn't heard since the first war. A voice he sincerely hoped to never hear again. _Merlin, please don't let Harry be stuck in the middle of a duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort,_ Sirius prayed as he picked up his pace, skidding to a halt just outside the Atrium.

Grey eyes widened as he arrived just in time to see Dumbledore beat the Dark Lord back with an enormous charmed wall of water and watched Voldemort disappear from view. Sirius wanted to rush to the teenage boy who was huddled on the floor in the middle of the Atrium, but something in Albus' posture stopped him. Something was wrong, and Dumbledore sensed it.

Sirius watched in horror as Harry suddenly stiffened. Dumbledore saw it, too, and warily circled around to stand in front of the boy. Getting a clear view of the old wizard's face, Sirius felt ice flow through his veins. He'd never seen that look on Dumbledore: it was fear. Harry opened his mouth and Sirius understood. It was Harry speaking, but the words were Voldemort's. The Dark Lord was possessing Harry and taunting Dumbledore, telling him to kill the boy. If death meant nothing, then kill Harry - kill Harry in the hope of killing Voldemort once and for all.

Sirius had never been so scared in his life. Not the night he'd had to flee his parents' house when he was sixteen, not during the Order meeting all those years ago when Dumbledore had told them about the prophecy, not the night Dumbledore had performed the Fidelius Charm making Sirius the Potter's Secret Keeper, not when _he'd_ performed the the Fidelius Charm making _Peter_ the Secret Keeper, not the night he'd tried to kill Peter and gotten himself arrested, not his first night in Azkaban, and not after the events in the Shrieking Shack when he'd found himself by the Black Lake surrounded by Dementors. _This_ trumped them all.

He watched as Voldemort spoke through Harry and Dumbledore, fairly powerless, tried to draw him out of the teenager. This went on for what felt like an eternity until Harry suddenly let out a scream of pain as though someone had _Crucio'd_ him, and what looked like a ghost left the boy's body. The ghost flew to the other side of the Atrium and rematerialized into Voldemort just as Minister Fudge and a team of Aurors burst onto the scene. Like when the Order entered the fight earlier that night, the whole Atrium went quiet as the shock of what they were seeing set in.

Voldemort was the first to move, turning on his heel and flying away - literally flying away as Fudge stood in a stupor, staring. Dumbledore, who had been kneeling in front of Harry, stood and moved towards the now-stuttering politician, but stopped, catching sight of Sirius. The old wizard flicked his wand casually and Sirius felt a spell hit him. His confusion over that deepened when Dumbledore beckoned him over. The desire to get to Harry overriding his fear of getting arrested again, Sirius took a few tentative steps into the Atrium and, when the Aurors saw him but did nothing, he rushed to his godson.

Kneeling before the boy, he smiled at Harry, but Harry frowned. "Who are y- ," Harry's question dying on his lips as he passed out.

Deciding not to question it, Sirius bent over to pick Harry up but stopped as a lock of blonde hair fell into his face. _Blonde?!_ , he thought, tugging at the strand and wincing as he found out it was definitely attached to his head. _What the... ? Ahhh...,_ he figured it out. Dumbledore had glamoured him so the Ministry Aurors wouldn't recognize him. Slightly relieved that he didn't have to worry about being arrested for now, he scooped Harry up, cradling the boy to his chest and carrying him over to Dumbledore who was setting Fudge straight.

" - I will give you... a half-hour of my time," he was saying in a tone that reminded Sirius of when he dished out detentions. "I will see my students back to the school and once I am satisfied that they are safe, I will meet you in your office to discuss this evenings developments." Turning to Sirius, he conjured a small, silver phoenix and pressed it into Sirius' hand. Tapping it with his wand, he made it into a portkey and Sirius felt the tug around his navel as he left the ground, reappearing in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts.

Seeing Madam Pomfrey at the other end of the wing, he rushed over to her just as she closed the curtains around a bed. Sirius caught a glimpse of bushy brown hair and a wave of relief hit him as he realized Hermione was now in the care of the most capable medi-witch Sirius had ever met. Madam Pomfrey ushered Sirius over to an empty bed and had him lay Harry down on it, then shoo'd him away. He reluctantly moved out of her way, but didn't leave the Hospital Wing. He watched as Order member after Order member appeared, each bringing back an injured party.

Remus came through with a still-unconscious Jeannie, Moody brought an unconscious Tonks and Kinglsey, who had brought Hermione minutes before, had gone back to the Ministry to escort Ginny and the two kids Sirius didn't know. Ron had been taken directly to St. Mungo's and Madam Pomfrey directed that Tonks be sent there as well, just to be safe. Moody took her personally, his affection for the young Auror clear. When Remus had gotten Jeannie into a bed, he approached Sirius cautiously, but snorted in laughter as he recognized his friend's scent. Sirius rolled his eyes. His glamour was obviously still in place. Remus conjured chairs for the two of them and they sat in silence as Madam Pomfrey worked her magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: As tempting as it is to try and include all of Ms. Rowling's details from the battle, that's not the point of fanfiction. I will try to wrap up any loose ends about where someone was and who got hurt in the next chapter or two but, for now, this is mainly from Sirius' and Jeannie's point of view and they can't see everything. 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	38. Chats And Visits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The only real issue that was brought up with the last chapter was Sirius calling Harry 'James'. Now, I know it didn't occur in the book and I understand that it's not a very popular moment, but I thought it was as good a way as any to make the point that Sirius and Harry need more time together. I didn't include it as a commentary on Sirius' mental capacity (or lack of), but rather to illustrate the fact that Sirius has really only known Harry as Harry for less than a month. Yes, Sirius was there when Harry was a baby, but that's just it - Harry was a baby. James' baby. It wasn't until the end of PoA that the truth about Sirius came out and he had to immediately go on the run, he saw Harry face-to-face only two or three times during GoF (if you count the fire calls) and the summer before OotP Harry only spent a few weeks at Grimmauld. Even though I gave Harry the mirror - and I feel that went a long way toward Sirius seeing Harry rather than a mini-James - I still feel they need to have a few conversations. I intend to do that soon, so I hope those of you who didn't like the name slip will forgive me when I give Harry and Sirius some male-bonding time.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

As the first rays of dawn began streaking through the sky, Albus returned to the school. He headed over to Madam Pomfrey first to get a status report on everyone, and when he was satisfied, he motioned for Sirius to follow him. Dumbledore led him up to his office and wearily sat down behind his desk. Sirius had never seen him look so _old_. However, this did not buy the Headmaster any sympathy as Sirius took one of the chairs in front of the desk and glared at the old man, his thoughts on who was responsible for the previous night's disaster clear. Having had hours now to stew, Sirius was not in the best of moods.

Waving his wand, Dumbledore removed Sirius' glamour. "Blonde doesn't suit you," he said quietly.

"When are you going to talk to Harry?" Sirius asked bluntly.

The old wizard sighed heavily. "As soon as Madam Pomfrey says he's well enough to listen," he answered, then held up his hand as Sirius opened his mouth to speak. "Before you lay into me - and rightfully so - please know something, Sirius. I never expected what happened last night to occur, and I'm astounded at the comedy of errors that led to it. I freely accept that the more serious errors are mine, but I do not hold all the blame. Sometimes even the best laid plans can blow up in your face because of unseen forces."

"Have you spoken to Mad-Eye and Kings?" Sirius asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. That's what took me so long, I was hoping to get back here two hours ago. I have set Fudge straight as well, and Dolores Umbridge has been removed from the school. The Time, Space and Brain Chambers sustained some significant damage, but I think Fudge's mind is now on other things."

"How many Death Eaters slipped through the Ministry's fingers?" Sirius asked next, his voice cold and mocking.

Dumbledore almost smiled. "Lucius Malfoy, Walden Macnair, Antonin Dolohov, the Lestrange brothers, Crabbe, Nott, Mulciber, Jugson, Avery and Augustus Rookwood were all captured," he said, counting them off on his fingers. "Bellatrix and Voldemort were the only ones to escape."

"Good," Sirius said. "I have no doubt that their beloved master will break them out again, but at least they're contained for the moment."

"Quite," Dumbledore agreed. "As for Tonks and Ron Weasley, they will both be fine. Tonks took a fair beating at the hands of her aunt, and if Ron had been in the clutches of those brains much longer things may have been different."

"Brains? What brains?"

"It appears that, in addition to possibly being Confunded, Mr. Weasley got a little too close to one of the Department of Mysteries more ghoulish treasures. A tank full of brains in the Brain Chamber that are - or were - alive and... murderous. In all honesty, I'm not exactly sure what or whom the brains once belonged to, but it is clear that they are incredibly dangerous and should be handled with the utmost care," Dumbledore explained.

Sirius nodded. "What about Harry?"

"Harry, I believe, will be fine. I think he is more mentally exhausted than anything else at the moment and I can't blame him for that. Having Voldemort possess you would, I imagine, be an enormous strain," he said. "Poppy also tells me that the stress of exams got to him yesterday, so he was already worn-down before his adventure. She expects him to wake up sometime today. As for Hermione, Antonin Dolohov could very easily have killed her last night." Sirius shuddered. "The curse is homemade and obviously very powerful as it has done a lot of damage even while having been cast wordlessly. However, Poppy expects her to recover fully as well, but it may take time."

Sirius took a minute to digest all of this. In the heat of the moment the night before, it hadn't really sunk in just how close everyone came to getting killed. The Order had come through by the skin of their teeth, and they were fully trained adults - most of whom had fought before. Fifteen and sixteen year old kids hadn't stood a chance and yet, they scraped through as well. He made a mental note to praise Harry's teaching skills when the boy woke.

"And Jeannie?" Sirius asked. "Do you know anything about her?"

Dumbledore looked at Sirius. "Actually, I was hoping you could give me some insight into her current condition," he said. "From what I've been told, Bellatrix cast an _Avada Kedavra_. I find it surprising that you and she are alive at all."

"Remus said the same thing," Sirius answered. "I'm not really sure what happened. I was dueling Bella, then Jeannie suddenly appeared beside me, there was this bright white light all around us, the light turned green, we were thrown backwards and that's all I remember. It must have knocked us out," he shrugged. "The next thing I knew, Remus was kneeling next to me telling me I should be dead."

The old wizard appeared thoughtful. "Are you sure it was the Killing Curse Bellatrix used?"

Sirius considered it. "Yes," he said. "Never mind the fact that it was Bella casting the spell, the wand movement and colour was distinctive."

"Hmm. Can you describe the white light?"

Sirius thought hard about that. He'd only seen the light for a mere second and his mind had been on his cousin. "Well, it was very bright - almost like a Patronus," he said. "But it wrapped around us like a shield."

"Like a Patronus?" Dumbledore repeated. "Did it take a shape?"

Sirius nodded. "Yes, at first. An animal - large - possibly a wolf or lion? I really didn't get a good look, it happened so fast."

"That's very interesting," Dumbledore muttered. "Alastor and Kingsley described it the same way. I wonder if your actions when Jeannie was injured have had deeper repercussions."

"What does that mean?" Sirius asked, confused. " I thought there was no magic involved."

"There wasn't," he began. "But magical blood and muggle blood are different. I suspect that when you gave Jeannie your blood, a bond was created," he said, ignoring Sirius' suddenly pale face. "As you know, it takes a lot of power to cast a killing curse. Power and intent. I have no doubt that Bellatrix would have loved to have succeeded in killing you, Sirius, but it is a well-known fact that killing relatives is even more difficult, especially for purebloods. While she may have had enough power in her curse to kill you, it appears that she did not have enough power to kill _two_ relatives, as Jeannie may now be considered because of the small traces of your blood running through her veins."

Sirius ran tired hands over his face. "Albus," he said, "please don't tell me that I've been shagging a blood relative."

The old wizard chuckled. "I don't think there's anything to worry about on that score, Sirius," he said, amused. "If anything, Jeannie may be something like a fourth cousin twice removed. You have a closer relation to the Weasleys. All I meant was that the minute traces of Black blood in her seems to have been enough to dilute the killing curse and save both your lives. I believe that is also why it has affected her more than you - while she may be unaware of her exact parentage, I think it is clear now that she has much less 'pure' blood in her than you. I also suspect that her feelings for you run deeper than even she has acknowledged. There aren't many people who would step in front of a killing curse for someone they didn't love."

Sirius frowned and averted his eyes. "Will she live?" he asked, his voice quiet.

"I believe so. More importantly, Poppy believes so. She told me that Jeannie has simply drained her magic. With rest and no excitement for a few days after she wakes, she should be as good as new," he said, standing. "Now, would you like to stay in the Hospital Wing for now?"

"Yes. I want to be here when everyone wakes up," Sirius said immediately.

Dumbledore nodded and walked over to his fireplace. Tossing a pinch of floo powder in the fire, he called for Madam Pomfrey, then turned back to Sirius. "If you're staying, then we can't have Poppy thinking she's giving asylum to a murderer, can we?" he asked, just as Madam Pomfrey appeared.

Steeping out of the fire, she dusted off her nurses robes and looked up. Spotting Sirius, her eyes went wide, but Dumbledore cut her off at the pass. Giving her a short, to the point and clearly rehearsed version of the events that led to Sirius' incarceration, he quelled the Matron's fears and answered any questions she may have had before she could even ask them. He also assured her that everyone in the Hospital Wing was aware of who and what Sirius was, so there was no need to keep him hidden behind a curtain or locked in her office. They just needed to be careful about any new patients seeing him, but Sirius promised to transform whenever he felt he needed to in order to keep himself from being seen.

Bidding the Headmaster goodnight, Sirius stepped into the fire and followed Madam Pomfrey back into the Hospital Wing. She led him over to an empty bed and gave him a pair of pyjamas, advising that he at least try to get some sleep. He made her promise to wake him if there was any change in anybody's status, then closed the curtain and kicked of his boots. Not bothering with the pyjamas, he simply stripped off his shirt and undid his belt to get more comfortable, then fell on the bed and closed his eyes.

* * *

 

After getting all the information he could out of Madam Pomfrey, Remus decided he needed to get out of there for a while. Sirius was talking to Dumbledore and there had been no change in Harry and Hermione's conditions, so he thought he would floo over to St. Mungo's and see how things were going there. He could hopefully get an update on Ron and, even better, get an update on Tonks. Remus had found his mind straying to her often since the end of the battle. The last time he'd seen her, she was in a heap on the floor and not moving. Kingsley had assured him that she was fine, but she was in the hospital, so how 'fine' could she be? _It couldn't hurt just to pop in and say hello,_ he thought.

A wall of noise hit him as he stepped out of the fire in the main entrance of St. Mungo's. Small children were screaming, patients were arguing with healers, a medi-witch was calling names from a roster, and a besieged-looking woman sat behind the check-in desk. She looked to be about fifty with dark skin and long, painted fingernails - one of which she was currently pointing at an elderly man who was brandishing his walking stick in her direction. Remus briefly wondered if he should step in, but every time the walking stick came close to the check-in witch's desk, the desk glowed red and the old man jumped as though a jolt of electricity had gone through him. Chuckling at the display, he moved towards her, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Lupin," a gruff voice behind him greeted.

"Alastor," Remus answered, turning around. "How is everyone?"

Moody snorted. "The boy's doing all right, now that his mother's quieted down. You should have heard the caterwauling! Couldn't get a healer to come near him for fear of getting hexed!" He snorted again. "The quicker that woman learns her kiddies aren't kiddies any longer, the happier we'll all be," he said, nodding. "As for Tonks - she'll live. _Her_ mother's here as well, but at least _she_ knows to let the healers do their work."

"Andromeda's here?" Remus asked. "Well, I was going to pop in and see her, but perhaps I'll visit Ron first. I don't want to intrude on Tonks and her mother."

Moody shrugged. "As you like. Ron is on the fourth floor - room 206, and Tonks is on the fifth - room 74. I'm heading home. Been here for hours now and it's starting to put me in a bad mood," he grunted, turning away from Remus and moving towards the fire.

Remus watched him disappear with a smile. He'd seen Mad-Eye in a bad mood, but he wasn't sure he'd ever seen him in a _good_ one. Shaking his head, he moved towards the lifts. Stepping in and closing the gate behind him, he pushed the number four button. A female voice announced the fourth floor as the lift stopped and Remus stepped out into a much quieter corridor. Looking to his left, he saw no activity but when he turned to his right, there were several gingers crowding around a room at the end of the hall.

One of the twins looked up as he approached. "Remus," he greeted, holding out his hand. Remus took it.

"How is everything?" he asked.

"We've been better," Arthur admitted, walking up and shaking Remus' hand as well. "Ron's sleeping now. The healers have done their work and now his body needs to heal itself."

Remus nodded. "What got him? Was it a curse?" By the time they'd gotten to the Death Room, Ron and Hermione had gotten separated, so Remus hadn't seen what had happened.

"He was hit with a Confundus, but there was something else as well. Some sort of brain thing," Arthur said. "I don't really know what it was, but the brain tried to strangle him. It wrapped around his arms and crawled it's w-way up to his neck - ," he broke off. Arthur took a deep breath. "He'll have some scars on his forearms, but with rest, he should be okay."

Remus stayed with the Weasleys for a while, then decided to see if he could visit Tonks. Having never met Andromeda, and having no idea how much she knew about what Tonks was doing with the Order or the true nature of her injuries, he wasn't sure exactly what to say to her if she was still there. He figured he would just tell her that he worked with her daughter and hope that that would answer any questions she may have about him. After all, there was a lot about Auror work that was classified, so it would be easy enough to decline talking about it.

Taking the lift up to the fifth floor, he stepped out and walked right into someone.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" he said, reaching out to steady the woman.

"That's quite alright," she said a very refined voice.

Straightening up, Remus got a good look at her, and nearly fell over as he saw the family resemblance to a certain raven-haired animagus. If it hadn't been for light brown hair and wide, honey-coloured eyes, he might have thought he'd just run into Sirius' twin. She was slightly shorter than Sirius, but only by an inch or two, and she carried herself with the same casual aristocratic grace that marked her cousin's gait. Realizing he'd been staring, he blinked and blushed slightly.

"Erm... are you Andromeda Tonks?" he asked carefully. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes," she said, drawing out the word as though reserving judgement on him.

Remus squirmed slightly. The resemblance to Sirius was strong, but so was the resemblance to Bellatrix.

"My name is Remus Lupin. I work with your daughter, Nymphadora," he explained. "I've come by to visit, but if she's resting I'll come back later... ?"

Andromeda blinked, then looked him over as though she were putting together the pieces of a puzzle. Remus became very uncomfortable as he saw a distinctly Molly Weasley-like glint in her eyes as they traveled over him. Suddenly she smiled.

"Well, Remus," she said cheerfully. "You've come at an excellent time! I was just popping out to get my daughter one of her favorite sweets because she's been complaining about the hospital food. She is awake and very talkative and I think she would love to see you."

"Ah - well, good," he said, suddenly feeling as though he'd missed something. Andromeda threaded her arm through his and steered him in the direction of Tonks' room, chatting the whole time. Remus made sure to nod and agree in all the right places and wondered why this felt like a 'meet the parents' moment. That question was answered when Andromeda opened the door to her daughter's room and a rather rotund man looked up from the chair beside the bed. The heart-shaped face and kind expression gave him away as Ted Tonks.

"Remus!" Tonks shouted joyfully from the bed. "What are you doing here? With... my mum?" she trailed off, taking in his obvious discomfort and glaring at her mother, who smiled back with the same look Sirius had when he'd done something he knew Remus would be furious with him for.

Remus opened his mouth to answer, but Andromeda beat him to it. "He's here to visit you, Dora," she said, her voice sweet but devious. "Isn't that lovely of him?"

Tonks' eyes narrowed as her face flushed. "Mum," she said warningly. "Let go of him, mother," she added when Andromeda didn't answer. The older woman released Remus' arm and the two witches seemed to have a silent conversation for several long moments. Remus looked helplessly at Ted who gave him a kind, reassuring smile and sat back to wait out the witches' debate. Finally, the two seemed to come to a truce and Andromeda turned to her husband.

"Ted, come with me to the bakery, will you?" she asked in a tone that made it clear it wasn't a question. With a quiet chuckle, Ted stood up, kissed his daughter on the forehead and moved towards the door, stopping in front of Remus.

"Ted Tonks," he said, holding out his hand.

"Remus Lupin," Remus answered, shaking the man's hand. "It's a pleasure."

"Pleasure's mine," said Ted. "We shan't be long," he added pointedly. Remus frowned in confusion, but before he could question it, the two were out the door, closing it behind them.

"Merlin," Tonks moaned, bringing Remus' attention back to her. She snorted. "Well, that wasn't awkward, was it?" she asked, her sarcasm heavy.

Remus grimaced. "I admit, it's been a while since I've had to deal with a girl's parents," he said, taking the seat Ted had vacated and making Tonks laugh. "I'm sure your mother's lovely, but she does have a way of making a bloke uncomfortable."

"She's a Black, remember?" she said, still laughing. Finally, she quieted and looked at him. "Come here," she said, crooking her finger at him teasingly.

Remus stood and moved closer to her bed, stopping when his knees hit the edge of it. Smirking, Tonks beckoned him again, so he leaned down slightly, bracing his hands on the mattress and cocking his head in confusion. When he was near enough, Tonks' hand shot out, wrapping around the back of his neck and pulling him towards her. He squeaked in surprise, but the sound was muffled by her lips on his. Hastily readjusting his position so as not to fall on top of her, he unconsciously growled, making Tonks sigh and a jolt go through her.

Hearing that sigh made Remus growl again which, in turn, caused Tonks to nibble his bottom lip. His brain shut down and he moved purely on instinct, opening his mouth and meeting her tongue with his. She made a noise of approval and tried to lean up towards him, but her injuries prevented it, so Remus went down to her. Pressing her into her pillows, he groaned at the taste of her. He'd been dreaming about this for so long now, and she was everything he knew she'd be. Suddenly, she whimpered, and that brought him back to reality. Pulling away with an apology ready, she shocked him again.

"Mmm, Merlin," she said, smiling. "I've been wanting to do that for ages."

"You have?" he breathed, moving away and sitting back down.

"Oh, don't act like you didn't know, Remus," she said with a snort. "Why do you think you and I were on guard duty together so much?"

Remus flushed. "Ah," he said.

"My mother recognized you, by the way," she said. "Apparently I've described you too well. I'm sure I'll be hearing about this later."

"Why?" he asked. "I told her we worked together - wouldn't it be normal to visit an injured colleague in the hospital?"

"You may have told her we work together, but I've told her I think your oversized sweaters are dead sexy," she said bluntly, watching his flush deepen.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes until Remus couldn't stand it anymore.

"You think my cardigans are sexy?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Uncomfortable Remus! Am I the only one who can't resist that?
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	39. The Hospital Wing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Like the battle chapter, I've changed a couple of things here, too. I'm pretty sure that in the books, Hagrid tells Harry that he carried Harry out of the house at Godric's Hollow, but here I've changed it to Sirius. Also, in the book, Harry comes back from the Ministry with Dumbledore, but for the first part of this chapter, he's still unconscious. 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Max grunted and rolled over. Something had woken him out of a deep sleep, but he didn't know what it was. Cracking an eye open, he could see the sun just beginning to rise, banishing the inky blackness of night and replacing it with a lovely blue that got lighter by the minute. That's not what caught his attention, though. A large silver phoenix was hovering next to his bed. The light of the Patronus had been what woke him and now he was fully alert. Max had seen patonuses before, and they never brought good news. As he watched, the bird opened it's mouth.

_'There has been a battle. Jeannie has been injured. You may floo directly into the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts. The Matron's name is Madam Pomfrey.'_

A growl rumbled in his chest as he leapt out of bed, dashed around the room in search of clothing and flew out of his bedroom and into the sitting room of his flat where a magical fireplace stood. Taking a pinch of powder, he threw it into the flames and took a deep breath, readying himself for the trauma of floo transportation. Max hated magical travel, but he had to admit, it was much faster than taking a taxi from his flat in London to the school in Scotland.

Stumbling out of the fireplace, Max steadied himself and looked around. He'd never been in the Hospital Wing before. The last time he'd been to Hogwarts was for Jeannie's graduation and that was held on the grounds, then everyone had gone inside for the feast. It looked to him like a muggle hospital except for the lack of beeping machines and hundreds of people rushing about. Here, all was quiet and there was only one person rushing about. A small, older woman wearing medi-witch robes and a Matron's hat. _Must be Madam Pomfrey_ , he thought, so he walked up to her.

"Excuse me," he said quietly, but startled her anyway. She jumped slightly and looked up at him, although he was happy to note that she didn't seem afraid, just surprised. "Could you tell me which bed is Jeannie Jones'?" he asked.

"Are you Kruger?" she asked in a no-nonsense tone. He nodded. "The Headmaster told me to expect you. This way," she said, leading him to a bed with the curtains pulled around it. She held open the curtains for him, and he looked inside. Jeannie lay under crisp, white sheets looking for all the world to simply be asleep, but Max could tell she wasn't right.

"What happened?" he asked, not looking at Madam Pomfrey.

"She has drained her magic," she answered plainly. "With rest and care, she should recover fully, but it will be several days before she can use her wand properly."

Max nodded. "May I stay?"

"Of course," she said, summoning a chair and enlarging it slightly to make it more comfortable for Max's large frame, then left to return to her other patients. Max sat down next to the bed and took Jeannie's small hand in his. Her skin was warm, at least, and the matron sounded like she knew what she was talking about, so there was nothing to do but wait until she woke.

* * *

 

Sirius could tell that Madam Pomfrey's temper was getting shorter and shorter each time he pestered her, so he had taken to pacing the Hospital Wing in dog form after waking from his nap and trying not to trip her up in the process. He'd slept hard for a couple of hours, but once he'd woken, that was it. He'd put his shirt and boots back on and proceeded to thoroughly aggravate the busy Matron. Only when she threatened to throw him out did he back off a bit and transform, knowing that he was much more loveable in that form and, therefore, less likely to be banished.

It was now closing in on noon, and he was absolutely dying to know the status of the three patients still in her care at the moment, but she wasn't volunteering the information. He'd gotten reports on Ron and Tonks when Moody had stopped by before heading home, so Hermione, Harry and Jeannie were the only ones he was still worried about. Finally, he saw her exit the curtains around Hermione's bed and look at him. She raised her eyebrows as if daring him to transform and question her again, so he simply put his ears down and whined pitifully at her, knowing she would understand what he was asking. She sighed, and her stern countenance softened a bit.

"She's awake," she said, glaring at him again as he yipped and chased his tail in happiness. He settled down and ducked his head in apology. He really didn't want to be banned from the Hospital Wing.

"Ten minutes," said Madam Pomfrey firmly, " _absolutely_ no more. The curse that hit her was designed to attack her lungs and, essentially, suffocate her. Luckily, it lost some potency due to being cast wordlessly, but she's still having a rather hard time breathing and I _will not_ have you exciting her. Are we clear?"

Sirius whined at her again, promising he would do no such thing, and slipped though the curtain Madam Pomfrey held open for him. Hermione looked so small and fragile lying under the crisp, white sheets and Sirius felt himself becoming very paternal. The table beside her bed was covered in potion bottles and each one had a small label with numbers on it, telling whoever administered them when they were to be given and in what amount. Sirius counted ten different bottles. She looked at him with tired eyes and smiled.

"Hey, Snuffles," she said breathily, and Sirius now knew what Madam Pomfrey was talking about. It sounded as though her lungs had simply given up.

They were all so young - way too young for this shit. He and James had been Aurors, yes, but that was after they graduated and went through extensive training. The girl in the bed in front of him, however, was just a kid. She wasn't really a child anymore - hadn't been for a long time, but she certainly wasn't a woman yet, either.

He transformed back into himself and sat down carefully on the edge of the bed beside Hermione. "Hey, kitten," he said quietly, "how do you feel?"

Sirius watched as she tried to take a deep breath, but couldn't quite make it. "Tired... _breath_... my chest... _breath_... hurts."

He nodded. "It'll be alright. Just take it easy, okay? You don't need to do anything but heal right now. We've got everything under control." She nodded, then moved as if to sit up, so he slid his arm around her waist to stable her. She clung to him weakly and laid her head on his shoulder while he repositioned her pillows for her. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of an angry gash on her chest peeking out of the top of her gown, and the sight physically pained him. Sirius knew a thing or two about cursed scars, and he knew that this one would never heal properly. She had followed her friend into danger for his sake and it was going to take an awfully long time before his guilt lessened. He set her back down gently.

Hermione's brow furrowed. "The others...?" she asked, clearly worried. Sirius hurried to reassure her.

"Everyone's going to be fine, at least, that's what Madam Pomfrey keeps telling me. The boy that was with you guys got away with a broken nose, Ginny had a broken ankle - simple stuff. The blonde girl wasn't hurt at all as far as I know, just stunned. They took beds in here, but they didn't need to, they just didn't want to go back to their dorms yet. Ron's at St. Mungo's - I don't know what that brain thing was, but they're keeping him for observation right now." He chuckled. "I'm told Molly was in rare form - even Arthur was taking cover." Hermione smiled at that. Sirius continued, "Let's see... Harry hasn't woken up, yet, but it should be any time now, and - "

"The Order?" she asked.

"Remus is fine, just a bit bruised. Same with Moody and Kingsley. Tonks is at St. Mungo's, but she's supposed to be okay. Jeannie hasn't woken, yet... ," his face became troubled and Hermione could tell Sirius was quite upset about something; she suspected that 'something' had to do with Jeannie, but she chose not to press the issue. "Anyway," he said, shaking himself, "nothing for you to get excited over. I'm under strict orders not to excite you. You're not excited, are you?"

Hermione laughed softly and shook her head.

"Good. I'd rather not be kicked out of here just yet," he said, smiling at her and moving to get up. "Get some rest, kitten, I know you need it."

He stood up to leave, but Hermione's fingers brushed his arm. He looked at her questioningly, and she motioned for him to sit back down, which he did. She took several breaths, as if she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to say or how she wanted to say it. Finally, she seemed to have come to a decision. She looked him in the eye.

"I don't think... _breath_... you truly understand... _breath_... what you mean to Harry... _breath_...," Sirius opened his mouth to interrupt, but Hermione shook her head and he quieted. "No, Sirius... _breath_... before you... _breath_... me and Mrs. Weasley... _breath_... were the only people... _breath_... to tell Harry... _breath_... that we loved him. _Breath._ He's still a little... _breath_... uncomfortable... _breath_... when she hugs him. _Breath._ He's not... _breath_... used to... _breath_... affection. _Breath_. But he's not... _breath_... that way... _breath_... with you. _Breath_. He loves you," she finished, looking exhausted.

Sirius was quiet for a long moment, not trusting himself to speak. "Thank you for telling me that. But, you know, you guys are going to have to stop saving me. I don't know how many life debts I can afford," he said with a small smile.

"Nonsense. You're... _breath_... worth it."

"I'm really not- "

"Harry thinks... _breath_... you are," she said, knowing he wouldn't argue with that. "Don't argue, Sirius... _breath_... you promised... _breath_... not to get... _breath_... me excited."

Sirius sighed and made a face, causing Hermione to smile tiredly. "Fine, we'll argue the point later," he said, somewhat petulantly. Then he smiled again and leaned over to give her a kiss on the forehead. "Rest, now. I'll be back later, okay?" She nodded and closed her eyes.

Sirius left her bed-side, closing the curtains tightly as he did so and, after taking a moment to get his emotions under control and making sure that Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be found, headed over to Harry's bed to check on him again. He poked his head in the curtains just in time to see the teenager's eyes start fluttering open. Sirius' heart swelled at this - he'd been more worried than he was willing to admit, despite the matron's assurances that the boy would be fine. Harry's green eyes blinked a few times, before taking in the bed and curtains and finally landing on Sirius. Harry smiled at him and he grinned back.

"Hello, son," he said, slipping through the curtains and taking a seat on the bed like he had done with Hermione. "How are you?"

"Okay, I guess," Harry said, looking a little confused. "I didn't think it would feel like this."

Sirius didn't know what to say to that. "What do you mean, Harry? How should _what_ feel?"

The boy blinked a few times and Sirius started to get worried. "Well, death, of course," he said, as if pointing out the obvious.

"Death?" Sirius repeatedly blankly. "You're not dead, Harry."

Harry blinked again. "Oh," he said, sounding almost disappointed, then looked carefully at Sirius, "you're awfully solid for a ghost."

Sirius' eyes widened and he was just about to call for Madam Pomfrey when it hit him. Harry had gone after Bellatrix because he thought she had killed Sirius. He hadn't seen Jeannie's part in the whole fiasco and, because of that, he thought Sirius had died. Sirius laughed and ran a hand over his face.

"Harry, son, I'm not dead either!" He laughed again. "Everyone lived - you, me - everyone."

"But I saw her kill you- " Harry said, looking skeptical, as if Sirius was playing a prank on him.

"No, son - you saw Bellatrix aim a curse at me, but you didn't see Jeannie... " Sirius stopped. He wasn't sure exactly how to explain this part. "It's really hard to explain, but I promise you I'm not dead and neither are you."

He watched as Harry's eyes grew wide and tears began to form. "I thought you were dead and it was my fault and I should've listened to Hermione because she told me it wasn't real and- "

"Hey hey hey, shhh," Sirius interrupted his ramblings. "I told you - everybody's fine, okay? I just saw Hermione - she's going to be fine. Ron and Ginny are going to be fine. Remus is fine, Tonks is going to be fine," he said, trying desperately to reassure him. "Really, Harry, the Hall of Prophecies a couple other of the Department's Chambers are the only things that sustained lasting damage, and I'm sure Dumbledore has taken care of everything by now. Relax," he added, laying his hand on Harry's shoulder.

The boy looked up at him for a moment with devastated eyes before suddenly launching himself into Sirius' arms and losing it completely. Sirius was caught off-guard, but soon recovered and held his godson to him tightly. He remembered Hermione's words just minutes before, that Harry only allowed himself to be like this with him, so he rocked Harry gently and let him get it all out.

Harry was a silent crier, but Sirius could feel tears seeping into his shirt and hear the occasional sniffle when air became necessary. He suddenly realized how terrible Harry must have felt about everything. It broke his heart how easily the boy had welcomed death just moments ago. Sirius vowed once again that, if he lived through this war, he and Harry would be a proper family. Finally, Harry's breathing evened out and he pulled back slightly, but didn't let go of Sirius.

"Sorry," he mumbled, clearly embarrassed about his breakdown.

"Don't be ridiculous," Sirius said, hugging him tightly again, and felt the boy take a deep breath.

"Sirius, I- ," Harry started, then paused, looking uncomfortable.

"Tell me what's wrong, son," Sirius prompted gently.

Harry sniffled again. "I - I used an Unforgivable Curse last night" he said in a whisper. "After Bellatrix killed you, she ran off and I followed her. She knew I was chasing her and she was taunting me and laughing about killing you and I lost it. I wanted to make her hurt and I used the Cruciatus on her." Harry looked up at Sirius. "I've been feeling weird all year and I don't know what's wrong with me and Dumbledore won't talk to me. Last night was the first time he's looked me in the eye since the night Mr. Weasley got hurt and I don't know what to do! I feel like there's something inside of me that I can't control and I don't like it!" he finished in a rush, as if he'd been bottling it all up for months and simply couldn't hold it in anymore.

As Sirius looked into the green pools of hurt and confusion that were Harry's eyes, he mentally cursed Dumbledore (again) for keeping him in the dark about so many things this year. Yes, Harry was young, but he had a right to know what was going on - especially when it was the boy's own mind that was being used against him. Sirius remembered what it was like to be a teenage boy, to lose control, to do something that you were sure you could never be forgiven for. He'd felt like that after the 'Snivellus vs. Moony' incident in his fifth year. The infamous Black temper had come out and he'd thought at the time that Remus would never forgive him and, even if he did, that he certainly didn't deserve it.

"Harry, do you remember our little talk over the summer about Light and Dark?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded mutely.

"Good. Let me tell you something, Harry - on the night your parents died, I was the first person to get to their house. I knew what Peter had done before anyone else did. I was the one who carried you out of the wreckage and when I got to their front gate, Hagrid was there. He said he had orders from Dumbledore to take you and told me to give you up. I _begged_ him, Harry. I begged him to let me take you. _I_ was your Godfather, it was _my_ job to take care of you now. He said no - said that Dumbledore had a plan and he had to take you."

Sirius' eyes darkened at the memory. "That was what did it. I broke. Absolutely fucking lost it. I figured that if I couldn't keep you, I could at least make sure that the rat never got to you. It was Hagrid taking you away from me that did me in. All I saw was red. All I wanted was Peter's blood splattered on the ground. I hunted him down - I found him - and I would have killed him if he hadn't been cleverer than I gave him credit for."

He took a deep breath and continued. "I lost control. Didn't know up from down, didn't know right from wrong. Didn't care much either way. All I cared about was what I felt was justice being served. What we have to remember, though, is that justice is a very strange thing and shouldn't be confused with revenge. At the time, I thought that justice meant that Peter had to die - preferably at my wand." He shook his head. "I was wrong. That wasn't justice, that was revenge. Maybe justice for Peter is being Voldemort's little minion, maybe it's something else, I don't know. My point is that I'm not judge and jury. I think that justice is decided by fate and, more often than not, fate does a better job of it than you or I ever could. Payback's a bitch, right?"

Harry grinned weakly.

"You lost control, Harry. You used a spell that you shouldn't have. I think, however, that it will have a more lasting effect on you than it will on Bellatrix. I think that it probably won't be the last time you lose control. That's part of growing up - part of becoming a man. The important thing is being able to recognize when you're wrong and having the stones to admit it. _That_ takes time, believe me." They both chuckled.

"Unfortunately, son, you were born with your mother's temper and your father's recklessness. It's a dangerous combination and something that you'll have to keep an eye on." Sirius looked at Harry. "I stand by what I said over the summer, Harry. You're not evil, you're not bad, you're not Dark. What you are is a teenage boy who is loyal and brave and not always good at thinking before he acts. These are typical problems - things to be aware of, but not necessarily things worth dwelling on. We're all susceptible to being led astray, the trick is to focus on the good things. Dumbledore's right about love, you know. It is a powerful thing - powerful enough to keep you out of the Dark. Focus on the people you love, and you won't go Dark."

"Let me tell you something else. I _NEVER_ would have gone after Peter if I'd been allowed to keep you, even for a short time. I would have stayed put, explained everything to Dumbledore, groveled for Remus' forgiveness - whatever I had to do - if only I had been allowed to know that you were safe. I would never have left you if I'd had a choice. I want you to know that. You are the most important thing to me and you always will be. I love you, and I don't ever want you to doubt that."

"I love you, too," said Harry, burying his face in Sirius' shoulder once more before composing himself and laying back on his pillows. "Is everyone really okay?" he asked.

Sirius nodded. "Yes. Everyone's fine, or will be soon enough, but I need to let Madam Pomfrey look at you now that you're awake. Are you ready?" he asked, wanting to give Harry time to dry his eyes.

Harry sniffled once more, then nodded.

"Okay. I'm going to go get her, but I'm staying in the Hospital Wing until I get thrown out, so if you need me, just yell."

Harry smiled slightly and nodded again, and Sirius left to find Madam Pomfrey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I think everyone deserves a good breakdown once in a while. Like Hermione, Harry hasn't been a child for a long time, but he's no adult yet, either. Sirius was such a welcome addition to Harry's life that he really was devastated when he died in the books, and I don't think he ever got over that. If Sirius had lived, this is how I think he would have reacted. The guilt and relief would have been an overwhelming combination and Sirius is the only one who accepts Harry just as he is - nothing more, nothing less. As always, please review.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	40. Full Disclosure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Still happy with the story progression?
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely M.s Rowling.

After tracking down the matron, and getting scolded for not finding her immediately, Sirius went back to his 'hospital pacing'. He really didn't have anything else to do, and he desperately needed to be there when Jeannie woke up. The talk he'd had with Dumbledore had done little to calm his nerves, and he really needed to see her. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Remus approach him from behind, starting violently when the werewolf placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy there, Padfoot," Remus said. "It's just me. Are you alright?" he asked, taking in Sirius expression.

The animagus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm better than I could be, I suppose. Dumbledore's promised to talk to Harry as soon as he can, Hermione's awake and it's only a matter of time before Jeannie wakes up. Max is here," he added.

Remus nodded sympathetically. "Has Harry woken?" he asked.

"Yeah, a few minutes ago." Sirius snorted humorlessly. "I was the first person he saw and he thought we'd both died. Said I looked really solid for a ghost. When did you get back?"

"Just now," he said. "I was thinking about heading back to Grimmauld for some sleep, but I wanted to check on things here first."

Sirius nodded. "Poppy told me you went to St. Mungo's," he said innocently. Remus raised an eyebrow. "How's my cousin?" Sirius' grin was wicked and Remus felt his face heating up for the millionth time that day.

Ted and Andromeda had gotten back not long after his 'moment' with Tonks and had insisted that he stay for a while. So, being the polite person he was, Remus sat and watched Tonks and her mother exchange glances that told him he would be _the_ topic of conversation when he left. Finally, he'd yawned spectacularly and Ted had taken pity on him, admonishing his wife for keeping the 'poor young man' awake after he'd clearly had a long night.

"She's fine," Remus bit out. "And, in case you were wondering, so are her parents."

Sirius' eyes widened. "You met Andy and Ted?" he asked, his face a mixture of surprise and curiosity. He'd truly loved Andromeda when they were children and it would make him very happy to be able to see her again.

The werewolf gave a pained nod. "Yes, I met them. I literally bumped into Andromeda on the way to Tonks' room and she made me stay. I liked Ted, though," he added as an afterthought.

Sirius chuckled. "You'll like Andy, too. She's a lot like me."

"Goody," Remus said dryly, then looked up as the Hospital Wing doors opened. Dumbledore stepped through and walked up to the men.

"I hear that Harry is awake?" he asked, directing the question to Sirius who nodded. "Excellent. If you gentlemen will excuse me," he said, turning and heading over to the boy's curtained bed.

"Is he... ?" Remus asked quietly, raising an eyebrow and nodding in Dumbledore's direction.

Sirius nodded. "Yep. I didn't even have to yell at him about it, either. He realizes now that Harry _has_ to know." He shook his head. "You remember what Jeannie said during her first meeting? About things ending badly if Dumbledore didn't come clean with Harry and Harry being really pissed at him when he did eventually find out?"

"Yeah," Remus answered. "I wonder if she's related to Trelawney," he said with a smirk. Sirius snorted.

* * *

 

Remus left shortly after, practically dead on his feet. He'd lost count of how many hours he'd now been awake and knew he would be no use to anyone if he collapsed. With Harry occupied hearing Dumbledore's tale (and hopefully apology), Sirius checked once more on Jeannie - who had still not woken - , nodded politely at the protective-looking werewolf on vigil beside her bed, and decided to try and sneak back in to visit Hermione again. He didn't really want to be left alone with his thoughts (or Max) and her bed was centrally located in the wing, which meant he would be able to hear it if someone walked in so he could transform and remain undetected. As he pulled back the curtains around Hermione's bed, however, he was confronted with not one teenager, but four.

"Come in, Sirius," Ginny said, breaking the pregnant pause.

Sirius looked at Hermione, who nodded, so he stepped in and conjured himself a chair, sitting down next to the blonde girl on Hermione's right, and waited for Ginny to introduce her two companions, who Sirius recognized as being the two other kids from the previous night.

"Sirius, I'd like you to meet Luna - ," Ginny began, indicating the blonde, " - and Neville," she said, nodding to the boy at her side. "They were part of the DA."

"Luna, it's a pleasure," Sirius said politely, holding out his hand to the girl who was wearing what appeared to be a necklace made out of Butterbeer corks.

"The pleasure's mine, Mr. Black," she replied in a soft, floaty voice while placing her hand in his. She looked him up and down. "You don't look like a murderer."

Sirius blinked. "Erm... thank you, Luna." He could hear the other kids snickering, but that didn't seem to phase the blonde.

The girl smiled slightly. "For what it's worth, my father never believed you were guilty."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Who, may I ask, is your father?"

"Xenophilius Lovegood," she replied. "You may have heard of him - he owns _The Quibbler_ magazine. We ran Harry's interview several months ago."

"Oh, yes! I remember that. Thought it was a brilliant move, myself," he said, the looked over at Neville. The boy had looked slightly familiar the previous night and now he knew why. _Neville_. Same age as Harry. Round-faced like his mother. He resisted the urge to chuckle as the boy shifted slightly under his gaze. "It's Neville Longbottom, isn't it?" he asked gently. Neville nodded nervously. Sirius gave him a kind smile. "I knew Frank and Alice very well," he said.

Neville's appearance immediately shifted. He sat up straight in his chair and any wariness he may have had about Sirius melted away, replaced by the same look Harry got whenever Sirius or Remus spoke about James and Lily.

"You knew them?" he repeated. Sirius nodded, making a mental note to talk to Remus and see if they could find something of Frank or Alice's, or maybe make a list of memories - just so Neville would have something tangible about his parents that wasn't from his grandmother.

"Yes, I knew them. They were a year ahead of us at school, and when we graduated and went into Auror training, Frank was constantly whispering advice to us. Who to really listen to, how to get past a certain trainer, what was the best time to play a prank on Mad-Eye Moody... ," the kids laughed. "They were good people," he said, looking Neville in the eye. "I was very sad to hear what happened to them. They loved you very much."

"Were... ," Neville hesitated. "Were they caught... last night?" he asked, and Sirius knew he was talking about Bellatrix and the Lestranges. He took a deep breath.

"Rodolphus and Rabastan are in custody, but Bellatrix escaped," he said, speaking plainly and unemotionally. The subject was not really something they needed to get into at the moment, and while Sirius understood the boy's need to know, he also needed to make it clear that he wasn't here to answer questions. Neville seemed to understand that as he nodded and quieted, letting the girls dominate the conversation once more.

Sirius listened for a few minutes before becoming acutely aware that he was, in fact, starving. He couldn't remember when he'd eaten last, but it had certainly not been since the Ministry. He asked the group if they were hungry as well and, after receiving affirmatives from everyone, decided that instead of possibly causing a panic by walking down to the kitchens, he'd call on his friend Dobby. A loud _crack!_ sounded in the Hospital Wing and Dobby the house-elf stood before him beaming and bouncing on his sock-covered feet.

"Hello, Dobby," Sirius said fondly. He couldn't help but like the strange little creature.

"Hello, Sirius Black!" Dobby squeaked. "Dobby is so very glad to see you, sir! Dobby has heard of your bravery, sir, and of how you helped to save Harry Potter's life! Dobby hears that Harry Potter is awake and uninjured... ," he trailed off, wanting to hear Sirius confirm this.

"He is, Dobby," Sirius answered, wondering at the speed at which information traveled in the elf community and watching the elf bounce again. "But he's speaking with Dumbledore now, and it's quite important, so you'll have to wait to see him, I'm afraid."

"Dobby does not mind, Sirius Black! Dobby only wants to know Harry Potter is well. That is enough," the elf said solemnly, then turned wide eyes on Hermione. "Miss Hermione, you is hurt!" he squeaked, his ears drooping.

Hermione smiled at him. "Yes, but... _breath_... I'll be alright," she said.

"We did not come out completely unscathed, Dobby," Sirius said, trying to steer Dobby away from talking about the Order in front of the kids. "But we are all alive and expected to make full recoveries." Dobby smiled widely again and his ears perked up. "Now, I was wondering if we could have a spot of lunch brought in here? I'm starved, and I don't think it would be appreciated if I walked into the Great Hall."

Dobby nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes, Sirius Black," he squeaked. "Dobby will bring food right away!" he said, disappearing with a crack!.

Dobby returned moments later with a feast. Roast beef, vegetables, potatoes, rolls, pumpkin juice, water, tea, cookies, brownies, and treacle tart were set on a nightstand that Sirius modified to become a lunch table. He made a plate for Hermione and took another over to Max as the other kids dug in, then got himself some food, letting out a quiet moan at the taste. Winky was an excellent cook, but there was no beating Hogwarts' food, and Sirius could almost swear that it'd gotten better in the years he'd been gone.

When they had eaten all they could, Dobby returned to take away the leftovers and Sirius could see Hermione was ready for a nap, so he suggested that they move to Jeannie's bed and let her rest. They did, and Sirius introduced Max to Luna and Neville. Neville looked intimidated by the huge man, but Luna didn't seem bothered at all - she was as polite and dotty with Max the giant as she'd been with Sirius the supposed murderer. They talked for a while until something caught Ginny's eye.

Nudging Sirius, Ginny pointed to Jeannie's hand. Sirius watched for a moment, then saw it. A finger twitched. She was waking up. He sent Ginny to get Madam Pomfrey and moved his chair closer to her while Max took the other side. Holding her hands in theirs, they watched her frown and take a deep breath, letting it out with a groan just as the matron arrived.

"Miss Jones?" Madam Pomfrey called. "Can you hear me?"

Jeannie groaned again and mumbled out a "Yes".

"Good. Now, try and open your eyes."

She opened them just a fraction, then slam them shut again, unable to handle the light. "Too bright," she muttered.

"All right," said Madam Pomfrey, flicking her wand at the window next to Jeannie's bed and lowering the shade. This darkened the area around the bed considerably and she directed Jeannie to try again.

Jeannie's brown eyes fluttered open slowly. She looked around carefully, then tried to sit up, but laid back down with another grown. "My head hurts," she said, bringing one hand up to her forehead. Sirius and Max both looked at Madam Pomfrey.

"That happens," she said, nodding. "Here," she reached into her pocket and pulled out a mild headache tonic, then asked Max to help her sit up. The werewolf slid his arm around her waist and lifted her, letting Sirius reposition her pillows, then set her back down gently, kissing her cheek as he did so. Madam Pomfrey poured the headache tonic down Jeannie's throat while Sirius shooed Ginny, Luna and Neville out of the area, promising to let them come back when they were done.

While the tonic worked it's magic, Sirius cast a _Muffliato_ on the curtains and filled Max in on what happened at the Ministry. By the time he got to the part where Jeannie was injured, she was looking much more alert and less pained. Sirius told her what Dumbledore told him, leaving out the old man's suspicion about her feelings as that was a conversation they needed to have alone, and asked her if she remembered anything. By now, Dumbledore had finished speaking to Harry and had slipped in to talk to Jeannie.

Her face screwed up in concentration. "I... I remember Bellatrix... um... I ran towards you and she cast a spell. Don't know what it was. I used my Patronus as a shield... and then I think I passed out?" she finished as more of a question than statement.

"Well, that confirms my theory of you having used a Patronus," Dumbledore said. "What made you think of using it as a shield?"

"Um... I don't know," she muttered. "Light against dark, I guess." She shrugged and looked around. "Did anyone get my wand?"

Sirius and Dumbledore shared a look. "Yes," Sirius answered. "But it will be a few days until you can use it."

"You've drained your magic, Miss Jones," said Madam Pomfrey, as Jeannie opened her mouth to argue. "I won't even let you try to use your wand for at least two or three days, depending on how you feel. Once the headaches have lessened, we'll see, but for now I'm afraid you'll have to do without it."

Jeannie looked positively livid. "That fucking bitch!" she hissed at Sirius, whose eyebrows shot up. "That's the second time Bellatrix has fucked me over! I'll kill her next time I see her!"

"Language, Miss Jones!" Madam Pomfrey admonished as Sirius tried - unsuccessfully - to stifle his laughter. Max didn't try to hide _his_ amusement at her attitude and even Dumbledore seemed to be fighting a smirk.

"Get in line, baby," he said, chuckling. "I guarantee you don't have as many grudges against her as I do."

Jeannie scowled and Max playfully pinched her cheeks, earning himself a swat. He grinned at her and she childishly stuck her tongue out at him.

"I thought I told you not to scare me again like you did at Christmas, Schwesterherz," Max said, attempting to frown in disappointment, but not quite managing it.

"Sorry," she said, giving him a crooked grin.

"That's alright," he said. "I understand it was Sirius's fault, anyway. I'll be having words with him."

"My _cousin_ , not my _fault_ ," Sirius broke in.

"Same difference," Max shrugged, not looking at him.

"Hardly," Sirius said. "You haven't had the pleasure of meeting my cousin, have you?"

"It matters not - ,"

"Why don't you two just whip them out and have it over with!" Jeannie snapped, irritated. Here she was stuck in the hospital wing, forced to listen to this shit and she couldn't even hex them!

"Gentlemen," Dumbledore said as the two men opened their mouths to resume their argument. "Perhaps we could get back to the matter at hand. Miss Granger will undoubtedly be here for several more days, if not weeks, and you are more than welcome to stay as well, Jeannie. In fact, it would probably be best as Madam Pomfrey will be able to monitor your progress. Sirius, Max - I would suggest you two _not_ stay here. We do not need to bring any more attention to the situation than we already have and, with you two here, attention is what we would get. Had term already ended, it may have been different, but as it is... " he trailed off.

"We can visit, though?" Sirius asked, looking as though he would be there with or without permission.

"Of course," Dumbledore answered with a smile. "I would simply ask that you leave at night. Also, do not let your guard down, Sirius. If in doubt, stay in dog form. It is easier to explain the presence of a large black dog in the Hospital Wing that it would be to explain the fugitive Sirius Black. I believe Miss Lovegood and Mister Longbottom have been introduced to you?" Sirius nodded. "Let's not let anyone else in, shall we? At least for now."

"I understand," Sirius said.

"Good," Dumbledore nodded, then looked at Jeannie. "Out of curiosity, Jeannie, what is your Patronus?"

"A panther," she said.

Dumbledore smiled. "Strong, yet graceful. A perfect fit for such a talented dueler."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I fell bad for Jeannie - not even able to hex Max and Sirius during their pissing contest.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	41. Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Still in the Hospital Wing.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"No... no... no... _nooo_... " the witch on the bed moaned, clearly in the middle of a nightmare. It had been a little over a week since the battle at the Ministry, and while Jeannie's wandwork had returned to nearly normal, Madam Pomfrey wanted to keep her one more night, just to be on the safe side.

_That might have been a mistake,_ thought the large black dog watching the witch carefully. Sirius knew a lot about nightmares and, as the first rays of dawn could be seen in the horizon, he knew he would need to wake her up soon or she'd be waking up Hermione, who was the only other patient in the Hospital Wing at the moment. Shifting back into human form, Sirius moved towards Jeannie's bed. He'd just gotten there - keeping his promise to Dumbledore about not spending nights at Hogwarts - and had floo'd in just in time to see Jeannie start thrashing.

"Baby," he said, grabbing hold of her wrists and speaking quietly. "Baby, wake up... "

"No, no, no," Jeannie answered, still asleep.

"Baby, you need to wake up," he tried, a little louder. "Come on, Jeannie, wake up." Sirius shook her wrists lightly to bring her out of whatever hell she was currently in.

"NO!" Jeanie shouted, waking up and starting violently, her brown eyes moving around the room and searching for her assailant. When all she found was Sirius, she relaxed, falling back onto her pillows and panting, her breath uneven with unshed tears. Pulling her hands from Sirius, she fisted them in her eyes, trying to calm herself down. Feeling the bed dip, she looked up to find him climbing onto the bed with her.

"It's still early," he said as she moved over to make room for him. "Go back to sleep. I'll wake you up if it starts again," he promised, getting comfortable. Jeannie nodded and snuggled into him, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

Remus and Harry found them like that later, the former professor having run into the teenager on his way to the Hospital Wing.

"Where's a camera when I need one?" Remus asked quietly, making Harry snort. Sirius was leaning back against the headboard, eyes closed with a peaceful expression on his face while Jeannie was pressed as tightly as she could be to his side, her head on his chest and her hand inside his shirt. It looked as though she'd undone a few of his buttons in order to get to his chest and several tattoos were now peeking out.

"What on earth... ?" Madam Pomfrey said, coming up behind Remus and Harry and clearly appalled at the sight before her. "Sirius Black!" she snapped, waking the animagus rather rudely and ignoring his curse at hitting his head on the back of the bed. "Get out of that bed this instant! You are not a patient and this is not a brothel!"

"What the hell?" Jeannie asked groggily, wondering why the Matron was shouting. "Sirius... ?"

"Brothel?!" Sirius repeated indignantly, staring at Madam Pomfrey. "What is your problem, woman?"

"My problem is that every time you end up in my Hospital Wing, I end up finding you in bed with a girl!" she answered, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him.

Sirius opened his mouth to contradict that statement, but thought better of it as memories from school came rushing back. In his third year, he'd ended up on the wrong end of a Slytherin's wand and woke to find himself in the infirmary later that day with his first concussion and the sixth year Hufflepuff prefect who'd rescued him sitting on his bed and running her fingers through his hair. Fourth year, he'd taken a bludger to the ribs and spent the night in Madam Pomfrey's care, waking up in the middle of the night to find Marlene McKinnon slipping into the bed. Nothing had happened, but they'd still been woken by the Matron forcing Marlene out.

Fifth year, Sirius and James had gotten into a squabble with the majority of Slytherin House and they both wound up in the Hospital Wing with several nasty hexes. That night, Sirius' Ravenclaw flavor of the week had snuck in and failed to set an alarm on her wand to wake her up before Madam Pomfrey did her morning rounds. Shouting had woken them up instead. In sixth year, Sirius got knocked off his broom by his brother, Regulus, and had to be carried in on a stretcher. Once again, he was not alone when the Matron came to check up on him.

Seventh year, however, was the worst scolding he'd ever had from her. He'd arrived, unconscious, after a particularly grueling dueling lesson in Defense, where Snape had taken pleasure in finally battling just one single Marauder, and had been out for several hours. Waking up at about six o'clock the next morning, he looked over to find his current flame snoozing uncomfortably in a chair next to his bed. Well, he couldn't have that, so he woke her up and lifted his blankets, inviting her in. She'd snuggled close to him and he hadn't been able to help himself. It had started with a kiss and by the time Madam Pomfrey began her rounds, they had lost just enough clothing to come together and the girl was moaning loudly. They were interrupted by the Matron's shriek and Sirius earned himself a week's worth of detentions for that.

"She didn't really catch him with a girl in here, did she?" Hermione whispered to Remus, who had taken a chair next to her bed. Remus didn't answer with words, only cocking his head, raising an eyebrow and refusing to meet her eyes. Hermione turned red as her eyes widened and she could no longer look at the other bed.

"Alright, Poppy," Sirius sighed, making to leave the bed. "I'll get up," he said, not missing the dark look Jeannie gave the Matron or the way her arms did not cooperate when he moved them in order to get up. Sirius didn't want to leave the comfortable bed, but he had promised Dumbledore he wouldn't be in the way or bring any attention to himself so, for now, he felt he needed to behave. He'd make up for it once he got Jeannie back to Grimmauld.

* * *

 

During that week, Remus stopped by St. Mungo's three times to visit Tonks and, thankfully, only ran into Andromeda on one of those occasions. Well, he didn't actually run into her so much as saw her coming and ducked into the nearest room to hide until he could no longer hear her footsteps in the hallway. Remus was not normally such a coward, but there was just something terribly intimidating about the woman, and he could only guess at the conversations that took place between mother and daughter after Tonks' confession that she found him sexy.

He knew, of course, that she'd been attracted to him for some time - his extra senses picking up on things like elevated heart rate and the scent of arousal - but he hadn't realized that it went any deeper than that. He'd assumed it had been more of a schoolgirl crush rather than a womanly attraction, but that kiss she'd pulled him into during his first visit proved otherwise. She'd greeted him similarly on his next three visits and those kisses had left him as dizzy as the first. On the day she was released, he visited her once more, but made sure to be far away before her parents got there to help her home.

Ron had been released from the hospital a week after the battle at the Ministry and sent back to Hogwarts, much to the annoyance of his mother, who had been more than ready to spirit him to the Burrow until Dumbledore suggested (rather firmly) that Ron would heal best at school with his friends, finishing out the last week or so of term. There were only a few days left of school, so Molly would only be deprived of him temporarily, and would then have the whole summer to dote and smother.

Remus had also been to Hogwarts nearly every day. Ginny, Luna and Neville had suffered only minor injuries that night and had been able to go back to their dormitory after some much-needed rest. Harry, too had gone back to the dorm after spending just one extra night in the infirmary. He hadn't really wanted to go back to Gryffindor Tower as Sirius could not accompany him there, but he had no valid reason for staying in the Matron's care, so he compromised by spending his nights in the dorm and every waking moment of the day in the Hospital Wing with his godfather, whom he still felt guilty about leading into danger.

Hermione and Jeannie were the only ones still receiving treatment, and so there was an awful lot of Max and Sirius hanging around. Both men had kept their word about not spending the night there, but they had also decided to be rather loose on the definition of 'night'. It was not uncommon during the week after the battle to find a large shaggy black mutt trotting around the Wing, irritating Madam Pomfrey before the sun rose in the morning and long after it had set in the evening. Often, too, was the sight of the enormous blonde werewolf walking in at random times bearing gifts for everyone from Hogsmeade. Butterbeer and chocolate frogs flowed freely that week.

Sirius was careful, however, not to be seen. At least, as a man. He kept one ear trained on the doors at all times, making sure to transform in an instant if needed. Jeannie's and Hermione's beds had been put next to each other and the curtains moved to enclose both of them so he didn't have to be in dog form at all times, but if he stepped outside that barrier, he did it on four legs instead of two.

The good news, according to Hermione, was that at least they'd managed to finish their exams before running off to pick a fight with Voldemort's best and brightest. The girl was in the infirmary, taking ten potions a day with a long purple scar on her chest that would never really heal, and all she was truly worried about was her N.E.W.T. scores. Even Remus had rolled his eyes at that.

Jeannie, on the other hand, was more than ready to leave. Madam Pomfrey making Sirius leave her bed that morning had put her in a bad mood and she couldn't wait until the Matron cleared her to go home. Her magic had returned to almost full strength, and she was only getting more and more stir crazy by the minute. It got worse when Dumbledore asked to speak with Sirius privately.

The animagus transformed and followed Dumbledore out of the Hospital Wing and up to the Headmaster's office. Once there, the elderly wizard indicated that Sirius should take a seat and offered him a lemon drop. Sirius refused the candy and sat down, waiting for Dumbledore to speak. He didn't look quite as tired as he had when they'd gotten back from the Department of Mysteries, but there was a heaviness about him that Sirius couldn't remember ever seeing before - even during the first war. Dumbledore shrugged this off, though, and gave Sirius a small smile.

"Sirius," he began, "this has been a very difficult week for me. I don't believe that I've ever had to apologize to and try to make amends with so many people in my life as I have in the last seven days. The person most deserving of my apology is, of course, Harry, but the friends who followed him into danger and the Order are a very close second. I have been speaking to everyone personally and find that you are next on my list." He looked Sirius in the eye.

"I apologize, Sirius, for not doing more during your initial arrest and subsequent incarceration. I apologize for not seeking you out when you were on the run. I apologize for keeping you cooped up in the house you hate and I apologize for not being open with Harry which lead him to his recent actions." He sighed heavily. "During my talk with Harry several days ago, he made it clear to me that I owed you something. I owed it to you to try."

"To try what?" Sirius asked, not quite following where the conversation was headed and beginning to seriously wonder about the sanity of the Headmaster.

"To try whatever means may be left to me to rectify your situation," Dumbledore explained. "To try to get you free."

Sirius blinked. Of all the things Dumbledore could have said to him, this was the one he was least prepared for. He had, of course, thought about this _a lot_ , but short of Peter Pettigrew revealing himself to the Minister in the middle of the Atrium, he was under the impression that he was pretty much screwed. At least for the time being. Now, however, Dumbledore seemed to be telling him different. Suddenly not trusting himself to speak, he waited for the old wizard to continue.

"As of yesterday, I have been re-instated as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and, as such, have the power to bring cases to trial at my discretion," Dumbledore said. Sirius' breathing quickened and all his senses - human and canine - went on alert. "Now, naturally, I would prefer to have the actual perpetrator of the crimes you were imprisoned for in custody, but we will have to make do with what we _do_ have."

Sirius swallowed. "And what do we have," he croaked, then cleared his throat.

"What we have are several high-ranking Death Eaters caught red-handed in the Department of Mysteries. What we have are two Heads of the Auror department - one former and one present - and a junior Auror willing to testify to your actions the night of the battle. What we have is the use of Veritaserum." Dumbledore took a breath. "All-in-all, Sirius, what we have is a pretty good case."

Sirius sat frozen for a while, then leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He felt light-headed. Almost as though he was going to be sick. After all this time... no, he didn't have a chance... did he? He lifted his head.

"Do I have a chance?" he asked, his voice quiet and small, adrift in this uncharted territory.

Dumbledore smiled. "I think so, Sirius." He went on to explain that Sirius would need to submit to the truth serum, and that Dumbledore would summon the highest ranking Death Eaters they had in custody to testify as well. He would also speak to Snape, but whether or not the Potions Master could testify was uncertain. Snape's first role was as double-agent, so if Voldemort forbid him from speaking at Sirius' trial, he couldn't.

When their discussion was over - or, rather, when Dumbledore had finished speaking to a nearly comatose Sirius - the Headmaster lead the large black dog back to the Hospital Wing with permission to tell the others, but ask them to keep it quiet for now. The dog nodded absently and walked through the door Dumbledore held open for him, heading over to the now-familiar curtains and slipping though, feeling the tingle of the wards they'd put up around the two beds for privacy. Sirius shifted back to himself and sat on Jeannie's bed, staring at the floor and not speaking.

"Sirius?" Remus asked quietly, sensing something major was going on with his friend.

Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Jeannie moved to sit next to him and gently ran her nails down his back in a calming way. He tried again. "Dumble... _ahem_... Dumbledore is going to get me a trial," he choked out.

Shouts of joy rang out and he was glad for the silencing charms around the area. Jeannie pounced on him, swinging a leg over his lap and pinning him down to snog him. He allowed that for a moment, but then pushed her away gently, reminding her that he hadn't won the case yet. A stab of ice-cold fear ran through him at that admission. He _hadn't_ won yet. There was the chance that he could be convicted again. Sirius shook his head and buried that nugget of doubt. He couldn't afford to think like that. The only way he would survive this was to remain positive.

"When is it?" asked Max.

"I don't know yet," Sirius answered. "Dumbledore's making all the arrangements." He looked up to see Harry smiling at him. Sirius stood, walked over to the boy and brought him in for a crushing hug. Harry was so much like James sometimes it hurt. Pulling the guilt trip on Albus Dumbledore in order to get the old wizard to try to secure Sirius' freedom was a very 'James Potter' thing to do and Sirius had to take a few deep breaths to reign in his emotions. Luckily, it seemed Harry felt the same way and held onto his godfather equally tight.

"So, what do we do in the mean time?" Remus asked. "I mean, do we talk to people about testifying? Nobody knew anything except you and Peter," he said, his voice betraying no bitterness about that. It seemed he had left his issues with that in the past.

"I don't really know what to do," Sirius admitted, letting go of Harry and returning to Jeannie's bed. "Dumbledore said he was going to call the Death Eaters who were caught in the Ministry and see what they could tell, but as far as us doing anything - I've already told Dumbledore the whole story. All I really can do is repeat that under Veritaserum at the trial."

"I know what we can do," Jeannie said, looking at Hermione. "Do you think Luna's father would print an exclusive interview with Sirius?" she asked the curly-haired witch.

Hermione's eyes went wide as she put the pieces together in her head. Luna, Neville, Ron and Ginny had opted to spend the day outside, so Luna couldn't answer that, but Hermione already knew the answer.

"Absolutely," she said, smiling confidently.

"An interview?" Sirius asked skeptically. "I don't know. Journalists can't be trusted."

"No, they can't be trusted," Hermione agreed, "but they can be blackmailed." Everyone but Harry seemed surprised at this statement. " _Again_ ," she added, sharing at look with The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry smiled wickedly and nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "We'll talk to Luna today."

"We'll need to do the interview _before_ the trial," Jeannie said, already planning a strategy in her head. "And make it so that it comes out the morning of the trial." Being somewhat famous, she knew a thing or two about manipulating the media, and she recognized that at that moment, they had the Ministry right where they wanted them. Fudge was already eating crow about Voldemort - he would not want a sympathetic figure like Sirius Black getting locked up again. And Jeannie would make sure he came off as sympathetic...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Ugh! This chapter fought me tooth and nail! I don't know what had me hung up, but boy am I glad it's finished! Hope you liked it, too!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	42. The Interview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sirius and Skeeter...
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"What a piece of work!" Sirius exclaimed, falling into his favorite chair in the sitting room of Grimmauld. Jeannie walked in behind him and poured him a glass of firewhiskey, bringing it to him and sitting on his lap. He sipped it gratefully, then set it down, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as he felt a migraine threatening to set in.

They'd just returned from one of the most painful and aggravating experiences of his life. _No wonder Hermione hates the bitch,_ he thought savagely. Having Rita Skeeter trying to dig ever deeper into your _feelings_ was not something Sirius was in any kind of rush to repeat. Not only had the gossip-hunting bottom-feeder worn way too much make-up and perfume and far too little clothing but, when she and Sirius had been introduced, she'd looked him over like he was steak and spent the rest of the interview sitting across from him crossing and un-crossing her legs to make sure he got a good view up her skirt.

Tonks had morphed herself into a middle-aged, unknown witch, then rented a room at the Three Broomsticks for the purpose of Sirius' interview. Jeannie and Remus transfigured themselves just enough to be unrecognizable, then placed a Disillusionment charm over Sirius. It wasn't as good as Harry's Invisibility Cloak, but Sirius had refused to ask the boy if he could borrow it, wanting Harry to have it available to him at all times in case he needed it. Apparating to Hogsmeade, the quartet made their way into Tonks' rented room and the young Auror went back downstairs to the pub to wait for Skeeter.

When the blackmailed journalist walked in, Tonks took her aside and led her up to the room. Once there, Skeeter was placed under a Confidentiality Charm to prevent her from revealing anything not mutually agreed to, and then she was introduced to Sirius. Her cold, calculating eyes took in everything from his clothes to the lines of ink that were visible under his collar to the brand of dragon-hide boots he was wearing. Jeannie had been very careful about dressing him that morning.

After a few minutes of useless small-talk, she and Sirius sat down and the interview began. Despite agreeing to not ask about certain issues and details, she tried time and time again to wheedle the information she wanted, but only succeeding in pissing Sirius off. He wasn't going to admit to being an animagus himself, only that Peter was one. He wasn't going to answer why they had become animagi in the first place and he certainly wasn't going to fall under the spell of her cheap perfume and false eyelashes. By the time it was over, Sirius was thoroughly annoyed and wondering why he had agreed to this in the first place.

"It's over," Jeannie said, raking her fingers through his hair and making him growl. "You never have to speak to that nasty mean reporter again," she cooed, chuckling when he pouted.

* * *

 

"Mum, we need to talk," Tonks said as she and Jeannie led her parents into the sitting room. It was now three days since Sirius' interview, and Dumbledore had finally given the girls permission to tell Andromeda the truth about her favorite cousin. In fairness, he didn't have much choice anymore, as Skeeter's piece was supposed to run in the next morning's _Quibbler_ \- which also happened to be the day of the trial - so Jeannie and Tonks had gotten an advance copy through Kingsley (who had been given the task of 'anonymously' delivering the issue to everyone on the Wizengamot) and headed over to the Tonks' residence for tea.

"Of course, love," Andromeda answered, eyeing her daughter carefully as she and Ted took their usual chairs and the girls shared the sofa. "Has something happened to that man of yours?" she asked, smirking.

" _That man of yours?_ " Jeannie repeated, laughing at Tonks' flush.

"She means Remus," the young Auror grumbled, her hair briefly flashing red, "and no, nothing's happened with him," she directed at her mother. "Unfortunately," she muttered only loud enough for Jeannie to hear.

Jeannie snorted into her teacup and Tonks glared at her.

"No, mum... it's something else," she said, reaching into her robes and pulling out the newspaper. Andromeda reached for it, but Tonks shook her head. "Before I let you read this, I need to explain it."

"Alright," Andromeda said, recognising the serious look on her daughter's and adopted daughter's faces. "What is it, dear?"

Jeannie squeezed Tonks' thigh in support and sent a half-smile to Ted as the witch took a deep breath. "Okay - you remember when I was little, and you would tell me stories about you and Sirius? About how much fun you two had when you could get away from the rest of the family and how much you loved him. How you couldn't believe he would do all those horrible things?"

Andromeda's face was devoid of all emotion as she stared at her daughter. She was quiet for a long moment. "What is this about, Nymphadora? You know this is not an easy subject for me," she said finally, her voice tight.

"I know," Tonks said quickly, then took another deep breath. "Mum... he's innocent."

Silence descended in the room until Ted spoke up. "I think you'd better explain, sweetheart," he said, sounding more serious than Jeannie had ever heard him be.

There had never been any doubt in Jeannie's mind that Ted loved his wife very much and that devotion was clear in his tone now. Anything that affected Andromeda that strongly affected him, too. He had, after all, been the one to comfort his wife after learning of her favorite cousin's treachery and betrayal, and he could still remember her curled up in the middle of their bed, sobbing uncontrollably when news of the Potter's deaths broke and Sirius was blamed for it. It had taken hours to get her to stop wailing, weeks to get her to smile again, and months before she would laugh at anything but Nymphadora. Her daughter had been the only real bright spot in her world for a long time, and Ted sincerely hoped that said daughter had some real proof of what she was claiming.

Tonks held the paper out to her mother. "You need to read this," she said.

Andromeda took the article gingerly and left the room. She went into her and Ted's bedroom and sat on the bed. She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself down before opening the newspaper. As she unfolded it, she let out a whimper at the picture on the front page.

* * *

 

_Trial Of Sirius Black_

_The Quibbler, July 15, 1996_

_Exclusive Interview by Rita Skeeter_

_Today, dear readers, I bring you a tale (or tail) of betrayal, deceit, intrigue and terrible injustice. This is the story of the one, the only, the infamous Sirius Orion Black. Some of you may know him as the current Lord Black, others as the first Black to be sorted into Gryffindor House, still others may remember him as Sirius Black, James Potter's best friend - but we all know him as a traitor, a Death Eater in disguise, a snake in the grass, the one who sold out the Potters to You-Know-Who... or do we?_

_Today, dear readers, I bring you the other side of his terrible tale. The side no-one has heard until now. The side the Ministry does not want you to hear. The side... that only the man himself could tell. You read right - I, Rita Skeeter, recently sat down with Sirius Black for a one-on-one, no-holds-barred, in-depth interview in an attempt to reveal the truth..._

R.S.: How are you, Sirius? _(The man sits across from me, his dark reputation doing nothing to detract from his effortless good looks and natural charm. Wearing dragon-hide boots, blue jeans, a white button-down and a black Muggle leather jacket, Sirius Black looks as though he's just climbed off his old motorbike. Remember that motorbike, dear readers?)_

S.O.B.: Peachy. _(He raises an aristocratic eyebrow. Those of you old enough to remember school-age Sirius Black will undoubtably recall the scores of teenage witches that fell at his feet, swayed by the steel-grey eyes and wavy black hair.)_

R.S.: Excellent! Now, if memory serves, you and James Potter were quite close growing up, isn't that right? _(His eyes soften at the mention of his long-dead friend.)_

S.O.B.: It was more than that. We weren't just friends, we were brothers.

_Pain flashes across his face as if it is difficult to speak of these things. Sirius tells me of meeting James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew on the Hogwarts Express. It was an uneventful occasion, belying the history that would be made. The boys got to know each other on the train, speaking of hopes and dreams, of families and duties and sharing a common goal - to not be sorted into Slytherin._

_By the time the foursome made it into the Great Hall for sorting, they had become the best of friends. James Potter, boisterous pureblood heir, Sirius Black, rebel just finding his cause, Remus Lupin, outcast just finding friends and Peter Pettigrew, tagging along in the hopes of being included. All four boys were sorted into Gryffindor and quickly rose to prominence, even giving themselves a name. Some of you readers may remember the 'Marauders'. As famous for their detentions as they were for the havoc they wreaked on the school._

_Of the four boys, however, James and Sirius were the closest. One was rarely seen without the other and when a professor called one boy, they often got two. This became even more true after Sirius turned sixteen. Although he refuses to go into detail, Sirius confides to me that on the evening of his sixteenth birthday, it was clear to him that he had worn out his welcome in his own home. Packing what he could, he grabbed his wand and floo'd to the Potter's house, where Dorea and Charlus Potter received him with open arms._

R.S.: That was very generous of them. _(I try to get him to elaborate.)_

S.O.B.: Yes, it was. I had been spending nearly all my breaks with them anyway, though, so I don't imagine it was too much of an imposition. _(That classic Sirius Black smirk makes it's first appearance.)_

R.S.: And after Hogwarts... ?

_The atmosphere in the room shifts as we start talking about the first war. Sirius tells me of joining the Auror program - then headed by Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody - alongside James, of spending nearly every waking moment in training, of growing up quickly with the shadow of the first war looming ever closer._

S.O.B.: We remained joined at the hip. Except for when James was with Lily. We enrolled in the Auror Academy - Mad-Eye Moody was in charge then - and we spent practically every waking moment either training or sleeping. The only breaks we had James spent with Lily. She'd wanted to become a healer, so they didn't get a lot of time together, but they made the most of the time they had, and within a year, they were married. _(A sad smile crosses his face.)_

R.S.: Tell me about the wedding. _(I try to steer the conversation to happier things.)_

S.O.B.: It was beautiful. I've never seen a bonding that powerful -

R.S.: They did a formal bonding? _(As Lily was a muggle-born, the formal bonding surprises me. This is something normally only done in the oldest pureblood families anymore.)_

S.O.B.: Yes, it was a formal bonding. Lily had read about them and decided that it sounded terribly romantic and James - being James - could never deny her anything, so they had the Ministry official do the formal bonding. I'd seen them before, of course, being dragged to pureblood weddings since I could remember, but... James and Lily... that was powerful.

_There is a far-away look in his eyes as he speaks about his 'brother'. After the wedding, James and Lily decided to drop their careers for the time being and throw their entire support behind the war effort. James had, of course, inherited the sizable Potter fortune with the deaths of his parents, so there was really no need for them to work. According to Sirius, however, Lily continued to study, convinced that a knowledge of medi-magic would come in handy._

S.O.B.: She was right, too. Patched me up a few times. _(There is humor and respect in his voice.)_

R.S.: Tell me about Harry. _(Harry Potter, of course, James and Lily' son and Sirius' godson. You read right, Sirius Black is Harry Potter's godfather.)_

S.O.B.: He was a bright light in a very dark time. I was there when he was born and I remember thinking that it was the greatest thing I'd ever seen. Lily held him first, then James and James passed him to me. I'll never forget the first time he opened his eyes. Lily's bright green eyes and James' ridiculous hair... a winning combination.

_We spend a few minutes talking about baby Harry - which brings a smile to the handsome fugitive's face - then I try to steer him towards darker subjects. The man goes on trial tomorrow with no witnesses, no real evidence and nobody to vouch for him other than himself. His defense, however, is astonishing, and one I attempt to dig deeper into..._

R.S.: Now, you claim that Peter Pettigrew is still alive, but a street-full of Muggles saw you kill him. How can that be? _(His eyes darken at the very mention of Pettigrew's name and I wonder just how dark this story will be.)_

S.O.B.: A street-full of Muggles did not see me kill Peter Pettigrew. As is usually the case when a Muggle witnesses magic, they did not see what they thought they saw. _(His voice is hard and cold.)_

R.S.: Please, do elaborate. _(This really does need explaining as the entire wizarding population has believed otherwise for fifteen years.)_

S.O.B.: Peter Pettigrew is an illegal animagus. _(I admit it, dear readers - I gasped.)_

R.S.: Go on.

S.O.B.: What most people don't know is that James and Lily knew Voldemort was looking for them. They found this out shortly before Harry was born and went into hiding shortly after. Towards the end, we discovered that there was a spy. Someone was feeding information about our doings to the Death Eaters and we didn't know who it was. When James and Lily went into hiding, I was made their Secret Keeper. _That's_ true. But what nobody knew was that I... doubted myself. Everyone knew how close James and I had always been and I felt that I would be the obvious target if someone were to come looking. So, I hatched a plan. I would switch places with Peter. He would become the Secret Keeper and stay in a safe-house until the Potter's were safe. Nobody would think to look for him; they would come after me.

R.S.: Is that what happened? _(I can't believe my ears.)_

S.O.B.: That's exactly what happened. I told no-one about it. I didn't know who I could trust anymore, but I took it for granted that nobody would ever think of Peter as Secret Keeper. They would go after me and, when they caught me, James and Lily would still be safe.

R.S.: But something changed, yes?

S.O.B.: No. We did the binding. I cast the Fidelius charm myself, releasing me from the secret and passing it to Peter. What I didn't know was that Peter was the spy. He'd been passing information for over a year. I can only imagine how he thought he'd be rewarded when he handed over James, Lily and Harry. _(There is a growl in his voice as he relates Peter Pettigrew's treachery.)_

R.S.: And you told nobody about this? Not even Albus Dumbledore?

S.O.B.: No. Nobody knew. Not Dumbledore, not any of our friends. It was the perfect plan.

R.S.: Tell me what happened the night the Potter's were killed. _(I try to be gentle, but Sirius still flinches at the question.)_

S.O.B.: I had planned to check on Peter that night to make sure he was still safe, but when I got to his house, he was gone. There was no sign of a break-in, no sign of a fight - he had just left. I knew, then.

R.S.: And you went after him?

S.O.B.: No, not immediately. I went to Godric's Hollow first. The gate was open, and the front door had been blasted off the hinges. I ran into the house and saw James... he was lying on the staircase... his eyes were still open. I felt like I was going to throw up, but then I heard a cry - a baby's cry. I ran up the stairs to Harry's nursery and there was Lily, lying in a heap in front of Harry's crib. Harry wailed again, so I stepped over her and picked him up, trying to calm him down. As I held him, I heard someone outside. I went to see who it was and saw Hagrid walking through the gate. He asked me if it was true and I said yes. Then he told me to give Harry to him.

_Sirius tells me he tried to argue with Hagrid, tried to keep Harry, but Hagrid was firm. Dumbledore had sent Hagrid to take Harry and that's what he had to do. Finally, Sirius relented and gave Hagrid not only Harry, but his motorbike as well. As Hagrid rode off with the baby, Sirius snapped. He went after Pettigrew, and finally found him in the middle of Muggle London. Now, here's where the story gets interesting..._

R.S.: Tell me, Sirius - what happened? How did Peter Pettigrew get away?

S.O.B.: He was smart. Much smarter than I gave him credit for and I was in no shape to play games. Peter, however, played it just right. I had him cornered, but he was quicker. He shouted for the entire street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James, then he fired a hex at me. When I dodged it, he ran past with his wand behind his back, firing off multiple killing curses. I tried to kill him, but I missed and when he saw the green light rush past him, he turned and looked at me. Then he sliced off his own finger and transformed into his animagus form and sped into the sewer.

R.S.: Into the sewer? _(I'm not entirely sure I've heard right.)_

S.O.B.: Yes, into the sewer. You see, Peter Pettigrew can turn into a rat.

R.S.: A rat?! _(Dear readers, this just gets better and better. He's convincing me. Nobody could make this up - it's too fantastic.)_

S.O.B.: So, there I was, in the middle of a street full of dead Muggles, and Peter's severed finger sitting in the crater of an explosion he'd caused. I... lost it. I couldn't believe how the last several hours had gone. It was... ridiculous and unbelievable and... hilarious. I started laughing. I couldn't help it.

R.S.: And you were still in shock when the Auror's came?

S.O.B.: Yes.

R.S.: Why did you confess? _(Sirius is quiet for a long time and I wonder if he'll answer me.)_

S.O.B.: I didn't confess to the crimes I was imprisoned for. I was never given a trial, never interrogated properly, never even really questioned. I was innocent of the charge of being a Death Eater and selling out the Potters, but that didn't mean that I wasn't guilty of other things. It took me a while to come out of the madness of Halloween night and, by the time I did, it was too late.

R.S.: What 'other things' were you guilty of?

S.O.B.: I believed James and Lily's deaths were my fault. It was my idea to switch to Peter, I convinced James to go along with it and I performed the spell. I felt that made me responsible.

R.S.: How did you find out where Peter was hiding? _(I try to move along to his escape.)_

S.O.B.: I saw his picture in the paper, funny enough. He had been living for twelve years as a family's pet rat, and when their picture made it into the paper, he was there, perched on the youngest boy's shoulder. I recognized the last name of the family and realised Peter was going to be staying at Hogwarts when the school year started.

R.S.: So, let me get this straight - you switched the role of Secret Keeper with Peter Pettigrew, who sold out the Potters, went to Azkaban for their murder, then broke out of Azkaban prison to protect your godson Harry Potter because the man who really betrayed his parents was living in his school dormitory as a rat?

S.O.B.: Yes.

_So, there you have it, dear readers. The real story of what happened all those years ago. Sirius Black spent twelve years in prison for a crime he did not commit, the true culprit continues to walk free, and Harry Potter has been denied his loving and devoted godfather for far too long._

_Sirius Black goes on trial, finally, in front of the Wizengamot to set the record straight at eleven o'clock a.m. today - July 15, 1996. Let us hope that, this time, justice will be served._

_Rita Skeeter_

* * *

 

Andromeda took a while to compose herself. It made her heart hurt to see Sirius' face after so long - so much older than she remembered, but still so handsome - and she wanted desperately to believe in his innocence, but Dumbledore himself had told her that he'd confessed. Her mind reeled. When had Nymphadora found out about all of this? Why had she brought Jeannie in on it? Neither of them seemed particularly shell-shocked - had they spoken to him? Did they know where he was?

"Oh!" she cried, putting a hand to her mouth.

Finally, after many tissues and lots of deep breathing, Andromeda had calmed herself enough to face her daughter again. Standing on shaky legs, she made her way unsteadily back to the sitting room and sank into the chair she had vacated earlier. There had been quiet talking in the room as she approached, but all had gone silent the moment she stepped into the room. Andromeda looked at Nymphadora.

"Do you believe this?" mother asked daughter, holding up the newspaper.

"Yes," Tonks answered firmly, looking her mother in the eye.

"Why do you believe it?" Andromeda trusted her daughter's judgement, but she needed _proof_. Something more than a somewhat plausible alternative explanation of the events.

Tonks was quiet for a moment while she decided how to answer that. "Because... Dumbledore believes him. Because Remus believes him... and because Sirius told me that's what happened."

Andromeda's eyes widened and she sucked in a breath as Tonks admitted to being in contact with Sirius. She looked at Jeannie. "What about you?" she asked.

"My reasons are the same as Tonks'," Jeannie answered. "Also," she added, knowing there was no more reason to keep Andromeda in the dark, "I'm not in the habit of being involved with murderers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Next up: Sirius' trial!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	43. The Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: For this chapter, I've taken some of the visuals from Harry's trial at the beginning of OotP.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Remus was in the kitchen on the morning of Sirius' trial having a cup of coffee and trying to eat a piece of toast without getting crumbs all over his nicest (least shabby) robes when the floo activated. Jeannie stepped through first, moving to the side and dusting herself off. Next came Tonks who moved to the side as well. The third woman who came through the fireplace startled Remus. He hadn't seen her since the first time he'd visited Tonks in the hospital, but this seemed to be a different woman. The confidence and breeding that she'd exuded during that first meeting had all but evaporated, and Remus could almost taste the anxiety rolling off her.

"Good morning, Andromeda," he greeted politely, giving her a small smile. She looked up distractedly and seemed to take a moment to place Remus while brushing soot off her expensive-looking formal robes.

"Remus," she said quietly. "Good morning. Where is my cousin?"

"Upstairs getting ready."

Andromeda nodded. "His old bedroom?"

"Yes. Shall I show - "

"No, thank you, Remus," she cut him off. "I remember the way." Andromeda took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, then walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to find her favourite cousin.

* * *

 

Hermione finally finished pinning the majority of her hair out of her face and told Ginny she was going to head downstairs. Receiving a nod from the redhead, she exited their shared bedroom and proceeded down the hallway only to stop in front of Sirius'. The door was open and the man himself was standing next to the window, looking out at the world. Something in his posture made her stop and knock on the open door. When she didn't get an answer, she moved into the room towards Sirius, only stopping when she was right next to him.

Sirius sighed heavily and hung his head for a moment before casting her a side-long look. "Would you think any less of me if I told you I was scared shitless?" he asked quietly, only half-joking.

"You know I wouldn't," she answered, smiling softly and looking him over.

He hadn't finished dressing yet. Well-shined black dress shoes peeked out from under pressed black trousers, but he hadn't gotten around to putting a belt on yet. A white sleeveless undershirt was tucked in and a crisp white button-down was on a hanger laid across his bed along with a red and gold waistcoat, a black formal robe and a cravat. He'd shaved very carefully that morning, his goatee trimmed neatly, not a hint of stubble anywhere it didn't belong and his long hair was tied back from his face in a ponytail at the base of his neck. He was dressing to impress, trying very hard to not look like the madman people would recognize and Hermione thought that if there was a single woman on the jury, it would probably work.

"What if I lose?" he whispered, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"You won't," she said firmly. "That's _not_ going to happen, Sirius. We're all on your side this time. It's not going to happen." She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her head on his chest and smiling when she felt his arms go around her shoulders. They stayed that way for a while until Hermione looked up to see a woman she didn't know standing in the doorway, Jeannie and Tonks standing on either side of her.

" _My mum,_ " Tonks mouthed at her and Hermione's smile grew. Pulling back from Sirius, she looked up at him and flicked her eyes towards the door, telling him to look over that way. He did and went rigid.

"Andy," he breathed as the woman stepped into the room. Hermione detached herself from him in order to watch the reunion.

"Hello, cousin," she said, stopping in the middle of the room with that same closed-off look Sirius got when he was highly emotional. "My daughter and your girlfriend have been telling me some... interesting stories, but I'd like to hear it from you."

Sirius swallowed hard. "What do you want to know?" he said in a shaky voice.

"Tell me you didn't do it," she whispered.

"I didn't do it," he whispered back. "I didn't do it, Andy. I could nev- oomph!" he was cut off by Andromeda charging him, throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing into his shoulder. Sirius caught her and held her close, burying his face in her hair to hide the tears making their way down his own cheeks. Finally, Andromeda composed herself and sniffed, pulling back from him a bit. She took a few breaths before speaking.

"I'm quite cross with you, you know," she said without heat.

"I know, I know," Sirius nodded. She had every right to be mad at him.

"I'm going to yell at you later," she added, and Sirius nodded obediently again.

"That's fine. You can yell at me all you like, I don't care," he said, still holding her around the waist as though afraid she was a mirage that was going to disappear on him.

She ran her hands up and down his bare arms, looking sadly at the lines of ink that were clearly prison tattoos. "Come on, then," she said, "let's get you dressed." Moving over to the bed, she took the shirt off the hanger and held it out so he could slip his arms through the sleeves, then grabbed the vest as he did up the buttons. Hermione, Jeannie and Tonks left to let the cousins have a few minutes together as Sirius tucked the shirt in.

"I can't believe you're here," Sirius said quietly as Andromeda helped him into the vest.

"Well, we wayward Blacks have to stick together, don't we?" she said, repeating what he'd said to her years before when he'd insisted on keeping in touch, despite her being disowned.

He chuckled at the memory as she circled around him, picking bits of fluff off his robe and watching him fasten his cuff-links and his cravat. When he finished, he stood straight and tall, cocking an eyebrow at her as if waiting for her approval. She looked him over one last time and nodded, pleased with the result. Sirius Black was still quite a handsome man, perhaps even more good-looking now that he'd matured. He looked like Lord Black, not his wanted poster, and that was the whole point of the fancy clothes.

"What're you looking at me like that for, Mrs. Tonks?" he asked, a teasing smirk on his face.

Andy's smile turned sad as she reached up and fondly ran her fingers along his jaw. "You're so _old_ ," she answered. Sirius' eyes flashed.

"Old?" he cried, incredulous. " _Old?!_ I'm on trial for my life today and the best you can do is call me 'old'? What the fuck, Andy?!"

"Oh, calm down! I didn't mean that as a bad thing - it was just an observation. I haven't seen you in nearly fifteen years!" she shouted back, their matching Black tempers happily butting heads as though no time had passed.

"Well, this is just great! All the things I have to worry about today and you're calling me old! You're not so young anymore yourself, you know!" Sirius swept past her and made his way down the stairs to the kitchen where everyone was gathering before heading over to the Ministry.

_Some things never change,_ Andy thought to herself as she rolled her eyes and followed.

"Everything okay, Padfoot?" Remus asked quietly as Sirius entered the kitchen looking a little pissed off. He'd heard the raised voices, but hadn't been able to make out the words.

"Just fine, Moony," Sirius answered, scowling.

Remus opened his mouth to say something else, but Kingsley cut him off. "Alright, everyone, listen up," he said, his deep voice cutting through the chatter of everybody who had gathered in the kitchen. "This is how it's going to work - Sirius, you will 'surrender' to me and Mad-Eye, we will floo into the Atrium, and everyone else will follow. Dumbledore will meet us there."

"'Surrender', how?" Andromeda asked.

Kingsley reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a set of Auror handcuffs. "I'm sorry, Sirius," he said apologetically, "but I'll have to put these on you here, before we floo to the Ministry."

The sight of the handcuffs sobered Sirius instantly and the anxiety from earlier came flooding back. Remus moved to stand beside him and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"It'll be alright, Pads," he said. "We're going to win today."

Sirius nodded. "I know."

"You do?" Remus asked, not expecting such optimism.

"Yes. Hermione said so," Sirius explained, "and she hasn't called it wrong, yet." He turned to wink at the young witch who replied with a nervous smile of her own. When Sirius looked away from her, however, she sent a panicked look to Remus, but calmed when Jeannie slung an arm around her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly.

Sirius took a deep breath and stepped forward, extending his arms to allow Kingsley to shackle him. The tall, dark-skinned Auror slipped the cuffs on him with a frown and an air of reluctance, then lead him to the fire. Taking a pinch of green powder, he tossed it into the flames and took hold of Sirius' arm, calling _'Ministry of Magic Atrium'_ , and the two men disappeared.

Mad-Eye went next, then the rest of the group followed suit, arriving in the Atrium to flashing camera lights and a horde of reporters, each trying to push the other out of the way to get an 'exclusive' quote from Sirius Black before the trial of the century. Finally, Mad-Eye erected a shield and pushed his way through the crowd, shouting that the prisoner had no comment at this time.

The group moved swiftly and efficiently through the Ministry, wanting to get Sirius down to the Wizengamot Chamber as quickly and painlessly as possible and, once everyone was inside, Mad-Eye and Kingsley sealed the door and escorted Sirius to the accused's chair. Sitting in the middle of the room, it was tall-backed and bare, with shackles at the wrists and ankles - clearly made for interrogation rather than sitting and Jeannie could see the discomfort on Sirius' face as the two Aurors removed his handcuffs and strapped him in before taking their places on either side of him. His breathing was quicker, too, and his eyes darted around the room, occasionally lingering on someone he recognized from last time.

The room looked the same. Ceiling so high you couldn't actually see it, no windows as they were way too far underground for natural light, and the lamps around the room did little to shed light on the space because of the darkness of nearly every surface. The floor was multi-coloured marble in geometric designs, but the benches and desks were all dark wood and even the robes the Wizengamot wore were black. A secretary witch sat off to the side with a small desk in front of her and a quill in her hand, ready to record the session.

Sitting in a half-circle in front of Sirius were the witches and wizards of the Wizengamot. Three rows high, their seats were raised above the accused's chair in the center of the room so the person on trial had to look up to see the people who were judging him. Behind him were his witnesses - Jeannie, Andromeda (Tonks was hovering behind Mad-Eye and Kingsley as her status as an Auror prevented her from publicly supporting Sirius at the moment), Remus, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys - more there for moral support than actual testimony since nobody but Peter, Sirius and the Potters knew exactly what happened in 1981.

After a few minutes of letting everyone squirm, the new Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, who had replaced Fudge not two weeks before following Fudge's announcement that Lord Voldemort had indeed returned, stood from his seat at the center of the judge's area and began to read from a scroll of parchment that was hovering in front of him.

"Honored Witches and Warlocks of the Wizengamot," he began. "We have gathered today, the fifteenth of July, 1996, at the request of Chief Warlock, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore to hear the case of one Sirius Orion Black. The accused shall stand to hear the charges against him."

The shackles around Sirius' wrists and ankles unwound themselves and he stood.

"Sirius Orion Black," said Fudge. "You are charged with belonging to the criminal organization led by Lord Voldemort, also known as the Death Eaters. How do you plead?" Jeannie saw, out of the corner of her eye, Harry and Hermione's nearly identical looks of surprise as the new Minister appeared ot have no problem saying Voldemort's name.

"Not guilty," Sirius replied in a clear voice despite his slightly pale face.

"You are charged with aiding and abetting the aforementioned organization. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty."

"You are charged with feeding information to the aforementioned organization, thereby assisting in the deaths of James and Lily Potter on October 31, 1981. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty."

"Lastly, you are charged with the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles in the early hours of the morning of November 1st, 1981. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." From her seat, Jeannie could see several judges sneer as Sirius claimed innocence.

"The accused shall be seated." Sirius obeyed and the shackles immediately resumed their place.

Jeannie had never been to a trial before, and since only Sirius, Kingsley and Mad-Eye had been privy to Dumbledore's plan of action for today, she was quite nervous sitting there, unable to do anything. Part of her wished it was still the night before when she'd held Sirius, running her fingers through his hair and telling him that it would be okay. He'd laid there silently, arms wrapped around her waist and head resting on her chest, listening to her soft, empty promises. Neither had gotten much sleep, but they hadn't really needed it - the energy levels were too high, and Jeannie knew nobody would relax until this day was over.

The row of seats behind Jeannie was taken up by the Weasley family - all eight of them (since Percy was still estranged) had been able to make it as Charlie had called in a few favors and gotten an international portkey the previous night. Sitting to her right was Hermione and Harry, the latter looking very nervous about the whole situation. Jeannie could understand that; he'd almost lost Sirius just a few weeks ago and was clearly unhappy about even the possibility of losing him again, not to mention his understandable distrust of the Ministry. On her right sat Remus, with Andromeda next to him. The anxiety was palpable and Jeannie hoped this wouldn't take all day. Unfortunately, this was the Ministry, so there was every possibility it would.

"Chief Warlock Dumbledore," Scrimgeour called. "You have seen fit to bring this case to us. Please proceed."

The Minister sat down and Albus stood and moved to the center of the room to plead Sirius' case. He was not dressed in black like the other members of the Wizengamot, rather he had opted for light blue formal robes with silver edging. His long, silver beard fell past his belt buckle, and his hair was loose down his back. What caught Jeannie's eye, however, was his left hand. The appendage was withered, black and necrotic-looking as though it had died. Dumbledore himself was looking old and frail, but he was an old man, and she wondered if he was just showing his age or if whatever had damaged his hand was affecting him.

"Thank you, Minister," Albus said.

Dumbledore began by summarizing the story that everyone was familiar with - the one where Sirius turned on the Potters and killed Peter Pettigrew, then launched into a 'hypothetical' alternative theory of what may have happened. Using a series of _'What if...'_ questions rhetorically posed to the Wizengamot, he weaved a tale that could rival Beedle the Bard. _What if a switch occurred at the last minute? What if Sirius didn't know who to trust, and so, went with the one person he thought he knew he could rely on? What if Sirius was as much in the dark as everyone else? What if Sirius had been framed? What if he was innocent?_

"These are questions that need to be asked and answered," said Dumbledore. "Sirius Black was never given a trial and, therefore, never allowed to tell his side of things. I ask that you allow him this chance. I ask that, for the sake of the wizarding justice system if nothing else, you right the wrong that was done to him all those years ago. Even the worst criminals deserve their day in court, and that is why I requested this hearing."

Scrimgeour snorted at the word 'requested'. He'd been briefed on Sirius' case when he took over the position of Minister and, as the former Head of the Auror Department, had been the one to appoint Kingsley and Tonks to the hunt for Sirius Black. It was safe to say he was not thrilled at having to play along today with what he clearly thought was a charade.

"Minister, Mr. Black has agreed to the use of Veritaserum. I request that some be brought."

"Weasley!" Scrimgeour called, and Jeannie heard Molly gasp as a tall, red-headed young man stood from some hidden spot behind the Minister's podium. "Give the vial of Veritaserum to Auror Shacklebolt."

"It's Percy," Hermione whispered, also having heard Molly's reaction to the Minister's assistant.

"Ah," Jeannie breathed. Percy had been a couple of years behind her and Tonks and Charlie in school and she'd never really had to deal with him, so there was no reason she would have recognized him now. Apparently, Fudge's job hadn't been the only thing Rufus Scrimgeour had inherited. Behind them, Arthur could be heard whispering comforting things to Molly who sounded like she was trying to hide sniffles, and Jeannie suddenly had a vision of herself and Sirius at that age, although preferably without the crying. _Whoa, where the fuck did that come from?_ she thought, shaking herself and turning her concentration back to the scene in front of her.

Without even a glance towards his family, Percy walked up to Kingsley and handed him the small vial of clear liquid, then returned to his place behind the Minister's podium. Scrimgeour, for the sake of the secretary recording the proceedings, made a statement about the Veritaserum being Ministry-approved and brewed by a Ministry-appointed Potions Master. Kingsley walked over to Sirius and put three drops on his tongue, then placed the vial on Scrimgeour's podium.

"Excellent," said Dumbledore, clapping his hands together. "Now, I have a few questions for Mr. Black, and then I will invite my esteemed fellow members of the Wizengamot to make their own inquiries."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This chapter and the next took me a while to write because I wanted to be careful about re-hashing everything again. I did enough of that for Skeeter's interview and didn't want to be just explaining what we all know actually happened between Sirius and Peter, etc. all over again. Let me know how I did!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	44. Justice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Canon doesn't tell us (as far as I could tell) when exactly Madam Bones was killed. I know it happens over the course of this summer but, for now, I'm borrowing her for Sirius' trial on July 15.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"Sirius, are you now or have you ever been a member of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters?" Dumbledore asked.

"No," was the immediate response, bringing gasps from a few judges.

"At the time of James and Lily Potter's deaths, were you their Secret Keeper?"

"No." More gasps.

"Who was?" an older witch with greying brown hair asked from the Wizengamot benches.

"Peter Pettigrew," Sirius answered, turning his head to look her in the eye.

"Did you kill Peter Pettigrew?" she asked.

"No."

The silence was deafening. Even the secretary witch who was supposed to be writing everything down was frozen in shock. Rufus Scrimgeour had vouched for the truth potion that was currently running through Sirius' system, so there was no doubt that he was being honest, which could only mean one thing: that he was innocent.

"Who is that woman?" Jeannie whispered to Remus.

"Madam Bones," he whispered back.

Apologizing quickly to Dumbledore for interrupting him - to which Dumbledore replied with a dismissive wave of his good hand, inviting her to go on - Madam Bones continued asking Sirius questions, and he continued answering them, each revelation more astonishing than the next. The witches and wizards in charge of passing judgement on Sirius were quickly becoming very uncomfortable. The anonymously-sent issue of _The Quibbler_ they'd all received that morning had made for an interesting read, but none of them had actually put any stock in what Rita Skeeter wrote. Why would they? She was known for her outlandish gossip. Now, however, not only had the seeds of doubt been sown, they had been watered and were sprouting rather quickly.

One by one, the charges against Sirius were knocked down, if not by his answers, then by the logical conclusions to his answers. If _Peter Pettigrew_ was the Secret keeper, then _Pettigrew_ sold out the Potters. If _Pettigrew_ sold out the Potters, then _Pettigrew_ was the spy. If _Pettigrew_ was the spy, then _Pettigrew_ had been the one feeding information to the Dark side, _not_ Sirius... and so on...

"Minister," Dumbledore began after the questions stopped for a moment. "At this time, I'd like to call Lucius Malfoy to testify under Veritaserum."

"Lucius Malfoy?" asked Scrimgeour. "Why Lord Malfoy?"

"Because he was one of the Death Eaters arrested during the commotion here in the Department of Mysteries just a few weeks ago, and I believe he would corroborate, possibly unwillingly - hence the request for Veritaserum, some of the statements Mr. Black has made," Dumbledore explained.

Scrimgeour nodded. "Auror Shacklebolt, please retrieve Lord Malfoy from Azkaban prison."

"There is no need for that, Minister," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "I took the liberty of having the Aurors fetch him earlier. Lord Malfoy is, I believe, waiting just outside the door."

Scrimgeour's eyes narrowed. "Fine," he said, his voice clipped. "Auror Shacklebolt, please retrieve Lord Malfoy from _just outside the door_ ," he ground out.

"Yes, Minister," said Kingsley, with a hint of amusement in his tone. He walked over to the doors of the chamber, unsealed them, and opened them to find a very disheveled and unhappy - but still arrogant - Lucius Malfoy flanked by Aurors Dawlish and Proudfoot. The three escorted Malfoy to the center of the room where a chair identical to Sirius' had appeared and strapped him in. Jeannie took several deep breaths to calm herself down, grateful for Remus' hand on her knee as he noticed her breathing change. She was still uncomfortable with the fact that Lucius Malfoy existed.

The two accused men glared at each other with pure loathing as Kingsley approached Lucius with the truth serum.

"Absolutely not!" Lucius shouted upon seeing the vial. "I _do not_ consent to being questioned under Veritaserum!"

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Lord Malfoy," Scrimgeour said, clearly offended by being spoken to like that by a prisoner. "You have been convicted of a very serious crime and, right now, are at the mercy and discretion of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. You will receive the Veritaserum voluntarily or not."

Lucius turned murderous eyes on Scrimgeour before starting violently when Moody moved towards him, his wooden leg clunking ominously on the marble floor. Jeannie couldn't hear anything, but she did see Mad-Eye's lips move ever so slightly and Malfoy pale at whatever was said. Finally, the blond opened his mouth and accepted three drops of truth serum from Kingsley, looking supremely agitated about it.

"Thank you, Aurors Moody and Shacklebolt," said Dumbledore, proceeding with his case. "Now, Lord Malfoy, we were just talking to Sirius about Peter Pettigrew. Do you know this wizard?"

"Yes," Lucius said through gritted teeth as he tried, unsuccessfully, to fight the Veritaserum.

"Good, good. Tell me, when did you see Peter Pettigrew last?"

"The night before the battle at the Department of Mysteries." Jeannie could see beads of sweat forming on Lucius' brow as the members of the Wizengamot leaned forward in their seats.

"And was Peter Pettigrew alive when you saw him last?"

"Yes." The Malfoy sneer was on full display as the Wizengamot shifted uncomfortably in their seats. It was finally sinking in that Sirius Black had been wronged and it was up to them to fix it.

"Was Peter Pettigrew ever dead, to the best of your knowledge?" Veritaserum was a truth potion, but it did not make the drinker a seer, and Dumbledore didn't want any of the Wizengamot challenging his line of questioning.

"No."

"Where was he all these years? If you know, of course."

"He was hiding. Living as a pet rat to the Weasley family," Lucius said, his lip curling in amusement.

"A pet rat?" Dumbledore asked. "Then Peter Pettigrew is an animagus?"

"Yes. A rat."

"One more thing," Dumbledore said. "Is Peter Pettigrew branded with the Dark Mark?"

"Yes."

"So, to summarize - Peter Pettigrew is a Death Eater, acted as a double agent during the first war, sold out the Potters, framed Sirius Black for their deaths, faked his own death while killing twelve Muggles in the process and spent the next twelve years living in his animagus form and generally hiding from everyone. Is this correct? To the best of your knowledge?"

"Yes," Lucius hissed angrily, casting hateful looks at everyone he could see, his hands curled into fists and straining at the bindings.

"Thank you, Lord Malfoy," said Dumbledore. "You've been very helpful."

Dawlish and Proudfoot released Malfoy from the chair and escorted the dirty, unshaven blond wizard with his nose stuck in the air back out of the room and, presumably, back to prison.

"Now," said Dumbledore after Malfoy was gone. "I ask you, my esteemed colleagues, do you have any more questions for Mr. Black?"

There was silence for a moment until Madam Bones raised her hand. "Just one more thing," she said. "Mr. Black, I hope you do not take offense at this because I mean none, but may I see your left forearm?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow, then looked pointedly at his shackles. Moody stepped forward and tapped the back of the accused's chair, allowing Sirius' bindings to release him. Sirius stood and walked slowly up to the Wizengamot benches while Madam Bones, who had been sitting in the top row, walked down to meet him. Undoing his cuff, he rolled up his sleeve to reveal bare skin. Sirius had many tattoos littering his torso, arms and even his hands, but he had - purposely - never marked his left forearm. He'd made that decision when it became clear to him that his parents expected him to follow Voldemort like so many of his family members.

Madam Bones pulled out her wand and Sirius couldn't contain his slight flinch. "May I?" she asked. Sirius looked at her warily, then flicked his eyes over to Dumbledore, who nodded, so Sirius, in turn, nodded to her. She waved her wand over his forearm and he recognized a series of variations on _Revelio_. It seemed she was merely checking to make sure that the Dark Mark wasn't hidden somehow. Finally, she was satisfied and looked him in the eye. "Thank you, Mr. Black and, again, I meant no offense."

Sirius turned and walked back to the chair, straightening his sleeve as he went. Sitting down, Moody tapped the chair again and the bindings returned. Sirius sighed and wondered when this was all going to be over.

"Honorable Witches and Warlocks of the Wizengamot," Dumbledore began, starting his closing statements. "We have heard testimony from Sirius Black himself, under the influence of Veritaserum, as well as testimony from Lucius Malfoy, also under the influence of Veritaserum. Today we have answers to questions that should have been asked nearly fifteen years ago. You now have a task. To continue perpetrating the injustices that have been forced on Sirius Black or to give him the ruling he deserved all those years ago: acquittal. Please be fair and just in your decision."

"Thank you, Chief Warlock," said Scrimgeour. "We will now erect a barrier and carry out our deliberations." Waving his wand, Scrimgeour created a mist that hovered in front of the Wizengamot benches. Jeannie thought it looked rather like trying to see through frosted glass. Blurry shapes could be seen behind it, but there was no way to see any detail or definition. They were just blurs. Dumbledore clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing back and forth in front of Sirius, humming to himself and occasionally making a comment that Sirius ignored.

The deliberations went on for nearly an hour and everyone was going a bit crazy. Molly was whispering urgently to her husband who tried, in vain, to calm her down while the rest of her children exchanged looks. Remus was paler and more drawn than usual and Jeannie couldn't stop her leg from bouncing up and down with nervous energy. Harry was transfixed by the mist separating the Wizengamot from the rest of the room and Hermione and Andromeda wore equal worried frowns. The Aurors in the room were the only ones apart from Dumbledore who appeared calm, but they had been trained to mask their emotions. Jeannie knew for certain that Tonks' hair had dimmed at least three shades since the trial began.

Finally, _finally_ , the barrier was taken down and the Wizengamot became visible once again. A few members appeared to be settling back into their seats, but Scrimgeour, apparently, was ready to hand down the ruling.

"The accused shall rise to hear the sentence." The shackles unwound themselves once again and Sirius stood. "Sirius Orion Black," Scrimgeour began, "we, the Wizengamot of Great Britain on this day, the fifteenth of July, 1996, hereby find you guilty - "

All the air left Sirius' lungs and his knees shook as his worst fear was realized. _No, it can't be!_ he thought.

" - of resisting arrest and eluding capture. However, we feel that twelve years of wrongful imprisonment has more than made up for the punishments required for those crimes, and hope that you will accept our sincerest apologies for the way you were treated in 1981." Scrimgeour looked Sirius in the eye. "You are hereby cleared of all charges, your record will be expunged and you are free to go. Dismissed." And, with that, Minister Scrimgeour stood and walked out of the room, the rest of the Wizengamot following suit.

Sirius turned to Dumbledore to find him beaming, his blue eyes twinkling like mad, but his gaze didn't linger on the Headmaster because he suddenly saw a scrawny teenage boy with unruly black hair launch himself over the bench and sprint towards him. Sirius braced himself for impact, and not a moment too soon as Harry collided with him, knocking him back a few feet and throwing his arms around Sirius' neck. The newly-freed wizard held his godson to him tightly, burying his face in the messy mop and pressing kisses to the boy's head.

Reluctantly letting go of Harry, Sirius spread the love to everyone else as well and, last but not least, shared a manly hug with Remus who, as usual, had stood at the back of the crowd, patiently waiting his turn. After releasing his childhood friend, Sirius took a moment to let it sink in. _Cleared... Cleared... Cleared..._ The word kept playing over and over in his head like a song on repeat, piercing through the rushing in his ears, and suddenly it was his favourite word of all time.

"Come, Sirius," said Dumbledore, breaking into his thoughts. "We will need to pick up your sentencing papers and leave. The press will be all over the place soon, if they're not already."

"Right, right," Sirius replied distractedly. "Whatever. Lead on." He'd already forgotten what the old man said, but it didn't matter, because he'd been cleared!

Dazedly, Sirius followed Dumbledore out of the Wizengamot Chamber with Andromeda hooked on his left arm and Harry on his right, the rest bringing up the rear. The first stop was the secretary witch's office to pick up the document that said - with an official Ministry seal and the signature of the Minister for Magic - that he'd been cleared of all charges. Sirius signed the document himself to make it official and watched as the ink glowed blue for a few seconds, then tucked it into the breast pocket of his robe, determined to never leave the house without it for the next couple of years or so.

After exiting the secretary witch's office, the group made their way back to the Atrium. They knew there were probably loads of reporters still hanging about, but the Atrium floo was the quickest way out of the Ministry. Sirius heard Dumbledore say now that he had his sentencing papers, everything else could wait, and it would be best to leave as quickly as possible. As they neared the Atrium, the level of noise made it clear that Minister Scrimgeour was holding a press conference and the group decided to sprint to the floos.

"Where are we flooing to?" asked Remus.

"Where do you want to go?" Andromeda asked Sirius.

Sirius thought about it. "Three Broomsticks," he said, grinning. It had been far too long since he'd made Madam Rosmerta threaten to throw him out of the Hogsmeade pub.

Remus grinned, knowing his friend still had some feelings for the voluptuous barmaid, the woman who was every Hogwarts boy's first crush. "Right, so - on three?"

"Hang on!" Tonks cried suddenly. "Kingsley, can I have the rest of the afternoon off?"

Kingsley snorted. "Might as well, since you'd leave whether or not I gave my permission." Everyone laughed as they knew it was true. "Sirius," he said, turning to the animagus. "Congratulations, my friend." He held out his hand and Sirius took it.

"Thanks, Kings," Sirius said solemnly.

"Well, you all go have some fun," Dumbledore said. "I will see about getting your things from evidence lock-up, Sirius, and we shall see each other soon." Sirius and Dumbledore shook hands and the old man and Kinsley stepped into the Atrium, deliberately moving towards the other end to get the attention of the reporters and give Sirius and company time to escape.

"Okay, everybody," Tonks said. "One, two, three - GO!" she shouted, and they all ran towards the fireplaces, grabbing floo powder and leaping into the flames.

* * *

 

Rosmerta looked up from the bar when she heard the floo activate but, instead of the usual one customer, there were fifteen people struggling to untangle themselves from each other as they fell out of the fireplace together. Cries of "Ow!" and "Gerroff me!" filled the mostly empty pub while the wriggling mass on the hearth separated. Being the excellent barmaid that she was, Rosmerta recognized everyone there, but one in particular stood out.

She'd read that morning's edition of _The Quibbler_ after one of her customers left it behind, and she couldn't help but remember the boy who'd tried to charm her into giving him and his mates Firewhiskey. The boy who'd made her laugh regaling her with tales of the group's misdeeds, the young man who'd stared shamelessly at her breasts while she was talking to him and ogled her arse when she walked away. There was something terribly endearing about Sirius Black and Rosmerta had been as heartbroken as everyone else when he'd been arrested. She walked over to the group and put her hands on her hips.

"Sirius Black," she said to the now-kneeling man. He froze and looked up at her warily. She smirked. "Am I to assume you've been cleared?"

"Cleared of all charges, Rosie. I'm innocent," he said quietly.

Rosmerta laughed. "Oh, Sirius, you've _never_ been innocent," she said, reaching for him. Sirius barked a laugh and stood, wrapping his arms around her, lifting her and twirling her before setting her down again. "I always knew you didn't do it," she told him.

"Thanks, Rosie," he said seriously. "Now - I'm starved. Is there any food around?" His appetite had returned with a vengeance in the last few minutes and Sirius suddenly found himself ravenous.

"Of course! Go pick a table and I'll bring you all some Butterbeers, yeah?" she said, looking around at everyone.

The group thanked her and went over to the long dining table in the corner of the pub. Within moments, Rosmerta was back, levitating several trays of Butterbeer to the table and pulling out her order pad. When everyone had placed their order, she left and the group let out a collective sigh. It was really over. They'd won. The reality probably wouldn't sink in for a day or two, or at least until Sirius went out in public a few times and nobody called the Aurors on him, but it felt _good_. It felt _right_. Despite the almost insurmountable odds, they had prevailed and justice had won out.

The war was bound to heat up quickly now that Voldemort had revealed himself. Lines were being drawn and loyalties questioned. The time for sitting on the fence or sticking one's head in the sand were over but, for right now, it was a lovely July day. The sun was bright and warm, the Butterbeer cold, the company good and Sirius was _free!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I've clearly been watching way too much Law & Order ;P Things do heat up in the next chapter!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	45. Celebrations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This chapter is pretty much all smut, but I'm not going to apologize for that because it's been way too long since anybody's gotten any around here ;) I passed 150k words with the last chapter... WOW! Can not believe it! Thank you all for sticking around!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"Uh!" Sirius grunted as he ground against Jeannie. They'd just floo'd back to her place from the Three Broomsticks, since the thought of going back to Grimmauld was decidedly unappetizing, and he'd immediately slammed her up against the nearest wall.

"Mmm, _Sirius_ ," Jeannie whined, hitching a leg around his hips and bucking into him.

"Fuck, baby. I'm gonna fuck you so hard," he whispered hotly against her neck before biting down on the soft skin.

"Fuck me, Sirius. Fuck me hard."

Sirius growled and grabbed the backs of her thighs, hauling her up. Jeannie eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him roughly, tugging on his hair. He broke away from her mouth briefly to find the stairs, then quickly ascended them and hurried into her bedroom. It was just as he remembered it, even though it had been a while since he'd been up there.

Laying Jeannie down on her bed, Sirius knelt over her, ravishing her mouth and neck. Her fingers worked their way under his robe and pulled it off, then his waistcoat and finally got down to his white button-down. Unhappy with the thought of having to undo a series of buttons, Jeannie simply tore it off him, making him chuckle.

"Eager, much?" he asked.

"Yes," she growled back, going for his trousers.

Sirius pulled out his wand and cast the contraception spell while Jeannie shoved his pants down just far enough to free him, then pulled him back down to her. He hitched her dress up past her hips, reached under her and kneaded her arse before gripping her panties and ripping them off, then lined himself up and plunged inside. They moaned in unison and Sirius began pounding, the force of his movements making the headboard bang against the wall.

Jeannie went to grab his arse, but he was quicker, snatching her wrists and pinning them above her head with one hand, the other bracing himself above her as he worked their bodies higher and higher. Apparently, freedom was an aphrodisiac, because it took mere minutes before Sirius felt the tell-tale tingle in his balls, signaling his orgasm. Desperately not wanting to come before Jeannie, he released her wrists and snuck that hand in between them to rub her clit. Luckily, she was a close as he was and was soon wailing out her release, bucking and tossing her head back while her pussy clenched around him deliciously.

Sirius shouted as he came, burying himself as deep as possible as he shot his load. Panting, he mouthed her neck and shoulder as his hips continued rocking mindlessly into her while he relaxed. Although Sirius was never one for waxing philosophical during sex (that was more Moony's area), he did have the simultaneously comforting and disturbing revelation at that moment that he could make love to Jeannie for the rest of his life and never tire of it. A vision of Prongs flashed through his mind and he nearly shuddered. Now that he'd been freed, he could work on his health and healthy people did not have visions of their dead best friends while their cocks were still inside a beautiful woman.

He was lucid enough to understand the reasoning, though. James Potter was the biggest love-sick sap the world had ever seen. For the first several years of their acquaintance, Lily Evans offered him nothing but abuse and James lapped it up like it was his very life-source and remained devoted to her. Sirius, Remus and Peter had teased him mercilessly about this, but James didn't budge and, finally, his affections were returned. It wasn't until he and Lily became a couple that Sirius actually recognised that his friend was really in love with the girl and it wasn't some sort of unhealthy obsession, and what really scared him at this particular moment was that he could see himself falling into the same pit of stupidity over Jeannie Jones.

Unbeknownst to him, she was having much the same thought process...

What had started out as a mutual attraction had, for Jeannie, evolved into something she had neither experienced nor knew exactly how to handle. The one 'relationship' she'd been in had been more of an arrangement than a relationship and, while it had been good for her and she remembered it fondly, there were no feelings of love or devotion attached. That had been agreed upon at the very beginning and, since then, she'd never stayed in one place long enough to really 'date'. Sure, she'd gone to Hogsmeade with Charlie a couple of times, but that had been more about physical gratification than emotion - and he and Tonks were better together anyway.

Jeannie had never waited for a man's owl. She'd never wanted to be there when he got home. Never wanted to make dinner and talk about the day. She was fine with spending the night, but rarely stayed for breakfast and never, NEVER thought about the future. Growing up in the circus, there was no future other than the next town they were scheduled to perform in, and that mentality traveled with her into her adult life. Everything was temporary, everything was short-term. If you had a good few months somewhere or with somebody, you'd done good and it was probably best to move on before it became not good.

With Sirius, though, things were different. Not only could she not leave for the next town as she was needed in the Order, but she could see a future with Sirius. Something longer than maybe the next six months. Jeannie could not know how long the war would go on, but she found herself wondering what it would be like to rebuild the world next to Sirius. She couldn't deny that they were good for each other, and she found herself wanting to hold on to that. Securing Sirius' freedom had felt great, but she was now slightly nervous that he was going to want to move on, make up for lost time, see what else was out there... Their situation had been unique, but what was there to stop him from wanting to see if there wasn't something better with someone else?

As he raised himself up and pulled out of her, however, Jeannie decided now was not the time for questions like that. There would be plenty of time for that later but, right now, he was in her bedroom and in her bed and she was content to let things be for the moment. They grinned at each other as they shed the clothing that hadn't gotten ripped off and snuggled under the blankets, Sirius on his back and Jeannie pressed against his side with her head on his chest. She ran her fingers over the fading lines of ink on his torso and played with the hair on his chest while his fingers ghosted over her shoulder and arm, causing goose bumps.

"Baby?" he said, his voice tired.

"Hmm?"

"Will you have dinner with me?"

Jeannie propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. "You mean like 'out'? In a restaurant?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. Like a date."

"I'd love to," she smiled at him. He grinned back, the small laugh lines just starting to become visible on his face crinkling. Jeannie kissed him and laid back down, the day finally catching up to them as they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

"Where are we?" Remus asked once he'd gotten his bearings. Apparating when tipsy was never very smart, but after Molly and Arthur had taken the kids home from the Three Broomsticks Tonks had asked him to see her home. Since they'd both been drinking he thought it wasn't a bad idea.

"We're home," Tonks answered mysteriously, fumbling a bit with her keys. She'd grabbed his arm and disapparated from the pub's back alley into the alley behind her apartment building, then immediately dragged Remus up a flight of stairs to her door.

"Oh. Well, goodnight, then," he said just as she got the key in the lock.

"What? No, come in for a minute. Please," she said, looking up at him. "Make sure I'm safe," she added quietly, seductive and demure at the same time and Remus felt his brain go a little fuzzy.

"A minute?" he repeated. She nodded and went back to work on the lock and, before he knew it, Tonks had grabbed him by the lapels, yanked him into her flat, wrenched her keys back out of the lock, closed the front door and shoved him up against it with much more speed and agility than he would have given her credit for. She looked up at him coquettishly and threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck, pulling his head down to hers.

Remus growled softly as their lips connected, the kiss soft and sweet in contrast to the way she'd man-handled him moments before. Tonks pressed herself into him, wanting contact at every point and sighed into his mouth as she felt his hands come up to hold her 'round the waist. Remus took advantage of the sigh and slipped his tongue into her mouth, tasting firewhiskey and Tonks - a heady mixture and one he knew he could get hopelessly addicted to.

"Remus," she breathed.

"Hmm?" he replied, moving down her jaw to her neck. Tonks whimpered when his moustache scratched slightly.

"I want you."

Remus paused and moved back a bit, but Tonks wasn't having it. As soon as his mouth left her neck, she brought it back to hers, snogging him thoroughly. The combination of his desire for the witch he'd been smitten with for so long and the alcohol they'd had left him in no position to refuse her, so he put a gentle pressure on her hips to urge her in the direction of the bedroom.

They stumbled their way down the hall, occasionally bumping into something, various pieces of clothing getting left in their wake. Robes first, then Remus' jacket, Tonks' shirt, _Remus'_ shirt... shoes and socks were kicked off and Tonks was in her underwear by the time they reached the bed, with Remus not far behind. Tonks climbed onto the bed, kneeling on the edge and grinned at the sight of the ever-well-put-together Remus Lupin standing there looking well-snogged in just his sleeveless white undershirt and trousers, whose belt Tonks was now pulling at.

_"Don't you think we should slow down?"_ was the thought in Remus' head, but somehow the words got lost on the way out of his mouth. "You're incredible," was what he actually said, making Tonks pause the work on his belt and blush.

_"I think I love you,"_ leapt to the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it back, knowing that now was not the time to burden Remus with the feelings that had been growing in her. Tonks had been attracted to the older man since they'd met and she'd heard him speak (gods, she loved his voice), but she knew from Sirius and even Jeannie how skittish he could be. But, she'd also heard (from Jeannie) that once he reached a certain point, there was no holding him back.

That was the point she was now trying to reach.

"Shall I demonstrate a metamorphmagus trick?" she asked, maintaining eye contact as she let some amber bleed into the blue colour she was currently making her eyes to match Remus'.

"Um... al - alright?" he said, ending in a gasp as Tonks succeeded in getting his trousers undone enough to pull out his rock-hard cock. He whined softly as she ran her hand up and down his shaft a few times and he let his head fall back.

_"Perfect,"_ thought Tonks, sliding back slightly on the bed so she could move onto her hands and knees. Once in position, she kissed the head of his cock once, making the head on his shoulders snap back down to look at her, then she winked at him and opened her mouth, taking him entirely down her throat.

"Ahhh, fuck!" Remus cried out as her nose nestled into the hair at the base of his cock. He'd never had a woman be able to deepthroat him before.

Tonks pulled off of him briefly. "Didn't know I could morph away my gag reflex, didja?" she asked cheekily, giving him another wink and swallowing him whole again.

Remus threaded his hands through her short, spiky hair and held on for dear life while she worked him. He marveled that she seemed to be enjoying herself. Remus had been under the impression that women didn't generally like giving blow-jobs - Jeannie being the only exception he'd ever personally known - so if he thought he'd been powerless to resist Tonks before, he was definitely at her mercy now. Somehow, that thought made him even harder.

He twitched in her mouth and she moaned around him, then suddenly found herself pulled off and tossed onto her back. Remus panted heavily for a moment, then snarled at her and crawled onto the bed in between her legs. Tonks whined and arched up towards him as he kissed and nibbled his way up her body. Leaving wet kisses on each thigh, he nipped at her hipbone making her buck, then moved up her stomach to her chest. Remus nuzzled the undersides of her full, plump breasts which were still encased in a simple white bra, then licked along the top of her mounds while reaching under her to undo the cotton barrier that separated him from her nipples.

Remus got the thing undone and pulled it off of her, with Tonks trying to help and nearly socking him in the jaw in the process. His wolf reflexes, however, saved him from the inevitable bruise. Tossing the garment over the side of the bed, Remus immediately latched onto a tit, suckling and licking and even biting occasionally, switching from one breast to the other in an attempt to not play favourites. Tonks, however, had had enough.

She grabbed his hair and pulled his mouth from her breast and back up to her mouth. Once there, she began clawing at his shirt, trying to get it off. She wanted him naked and she wanted it now. He detached himself from the kiss and sat back on his heels. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he slowly peeled the shirt off, watching her face for any negative reaction. They had known each other for a year, but she'd never seen him shirtless and he wasn't sure how she would take his numerous scars.

Tonks, of course, thought he was gorgeous, but she realised that actions spoke louder than words with him, so she raised herself up onto her knees and kissed him softly while gently running her fingers over his scarred chest. After a few moments, he seemed to decide she wasn't going to run screaming, so he wrapped an arm around her waist and crushed her to him, her breasts squashed into his chest and his erection pressing insistently into her hip. Tonks pushed him onto his back and went for his trousers again, pulling them off and tossing them carelessly to the floor, then pulled off her panties, swung a leg over and settled on top of him.

Remus' hands found her hips as she braced herself up with one hand while reaching between them with the other, lining him up and sinking down. They both let out moans of relief, Tonks for finally being filled by the man she'd been having naughty dreams about and Remus for reveling in her tight, wet heat. Gods, she felt perfect around him, snug and hot, her inner walls massaging him.

Then she began to move. Up and down, almost coming off of him, then filling herself once more. Remus let her take her pleasure for a while - the view was too good. Full breasts swaying in front of him, her toned, strong body moving above him... his fantasies would never be able to recreate this sufficiently. Tonks was not fat by any means, but she had a fullness to her body. Unlike Jeannie, who was lean to the point of being wiry, there was just more of Tonks and Remus loved it. He ran his hands over every bit of skin he could reach, feeling the occasional scar of her own. She had a dangerous job, after all.

Tonks rode him to her completion, clenching around him and crying out as she slammed herself down onto his cock one last time, Remus gritting his teeth against his own release. When she came down from her high, she collapsed against his chest, panting heavily. Remus hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his, kissing her deeply while she relaxed. After a moment, she realised that he was still hard, and wiggled her hips while grinning at him. Remus wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over, the action pushing him even deeper into her and making them both gasp.

"Oh, Remus," Tonks breathed. "Please... "

Propped up on his elbows, Remus began to move. Pulling almost all the way out, then surging back in over and over. Tonks lifted her legs and hooked them behind his back, her heels digging into his arse. It didn't take long for him to lose his rhythm and thrust hard into her one time. What did surprise him, though, was the way she arched and moaned at that.

"Yes! Harder!"

So he did. Remus pounded into her with all he had, unable to hold himself in check any longer. It had been way too long since he'd been with a woman and he'd been wanting this particular woman for longer than he cared to admit. Remus buried his face on her neck, inhaling her scent and growling in approval. The rumbling of his chest sent shivers straight to Tonks' cunt, driving her closer to the edge. Feeling her start to tighten, Remus reached down and ran his thumb over her clit, and she was done.

Her breath caught in her throat as her world exploded. Her body arched and tensed, the cords in her neck stretched taut and her thighs tightened around Remus' hips as her pussy tightened around his cock. It was too much for Remus as well as he thrust once, twice, three more times before spilling himself deep inside her with a shout. Panting and covered in sweat, Remus pulled out of her and rolled to the side. Landing on his back, Tonks snuggled into his side, draping an arm around his middle and tucking her head into the crook of his neck.

Remus couldn't reach his wand from where he was, so he snapped his fingers and the blanket at the foot of her bed came flying at him. He covered them, then relaxed into the pillow only to feel something bunched up under his head. Reaching up, he pulled whatever it was out and started laughing when he saw what it was. Tonks' panties, that she'd so carelessly tossed aside in her haste to mount him, had landed on the pillow. He laughed harder when he saw something he'd been too distracted to notice earlier. Some women wore lingerie, others cheaper lace knickers, still others wore what Remus had once been told were called 'granny panties', but not Tonks - at least not that night.

She had flowers on her panties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The emotional stuff in the first part of this chapter was very important to me. I don't like the term 'emotionally stunted' that people tend to use fairly frequently when describing Sirius, but I do recognize that twelve years shut in from the rest of the world with no human interaction didn't do him any favors, especially at that age. Sirius was no stranger to familial love (i.e. James' parents) or sibling love (the Marauders and Lily), and he'd been a witness to James and Lily falling in love but, in my opinion (at least for the sake of this story), Sirius never fell in love. He probably never had a lasting relationship. I won't go into any psycho-babble, but men who had bad mothers have difficulty with relationships, and even though Sirius had Dorea Potter in his teens, some damage on that front was already done. I can't see him being mature enough at 18, 19, or 20 to have a real, meaningful relationship and that's why I'm writing him having these discoveries at the same pace as Jeannie - because he has no experience in these waters, either. Sorry about the long note :)
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	46. Tonks' Troubles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: 'Morning-after' Remus. You know what that means. Plenty of angst in here! 
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling

"I'm so sorry, Tonks. This can't go any further," Remus said, his back to her as he stared out the window. He'd been gone by the time she'd woken up that morning, so she'd decided to sniff him out. Predictably, she found him brooding in his bedroom at Grimmauld.

"So I'm good enough to fuck, just not to date?" she said after a moment. Remus whipped around to face her, incredulous.

"What?! That's not what I said!" he half-shouted, momentarily distracted by the mousy-brown shade of her hair.

"What else am I supposed to think? _'This can't go any further'?_ What does that mean?" she asked reasonably.

Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It means that I made a mistake in letting it go that far last night. And it means that I can't let that happen again."

Tonks crossed her arms over her chest protectively and gave him the most serious look he'd ever seen from her except when they were in battle. "I'm trying really hard not to be offended here, Remus," she said. "I thought we both had a really good time last night." She'd expected this to happen eventually, but she'd honestly thought she'd have a bit more time with him.

"It's not about _'having a good time'_ , Tonks, and you know it. I can't give you more than what we are right now," he replied sadly.

"And what is that, exactly? What are ' _we_ '? _'We'_ haven't been very subtle in our attraction to each other, Remus. I've seen the way you look at me and I told you last night how I feel about you."

"You had too much to drink last night - "

"Oh, no you don't! Don't go blaming the firewhiskey! I've wanted you for months and last night I finally got you. And if it wasn't for the liquor, I probably wouldn't have had the guts to do it!" she said, her hair flashing red.

Remus bowed his head. "What do you want me to say, Tonks? I can't date you - I can't do that to you."

" _'Do that to me?'_ " Tonks repeated.

"Yes, _'do that to you'_ ," he said, wanting her to understand. "Tonks, the minute anyone at the Ministry got wind of you being in a relationship with me, your career would be over. Friendships would be lost, people you thought you could trust and depend on would no longer be there for you and it would be because of me, of what I am. You don't understand - the people in the Order are the only people in my entire life, with the exception of maybe three others, who have ever accepted me. To everyone else, I'm a beast. A creature, not worthy of help or sympathy and certainly not worthy of love. I can't do that to you."

Tonks was silent for a while. "Would you try... if I was Jeannie?" she finally asked, her voice small and insecure.

Part of Remus wasn't surprised that she'd brought that up, but a larger part of him was appalled that she thought he would compare the two women. "This isn't about Jeannie, Tonks. This is about you and me."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"No. I would not try to have a relationship with Jeannie."

"If you weren't a werewolf, would you still turn me down?"

Remus exhaled heavily. "That's an unfair question. I've been a werewolf since I was four years old, Tonks. I honestly don't know what I would do if I did not have this condition."

"I want you, Remus," Tonks whispered, her voice barely audible, but Remus' sensitive hearing picked it up loud and clear. "And I think you want me, too."

Remus didn't deny it. He couldn't, not when all he really wanted to do was snog her silly, then drag her back to bed for round... well, he'd lost count last night. He held his breath as she came closer, laying her hand on his arm. He couldn't meet her eyes. He was ashamed at the way he'd acted the night before, hurt by what he was doing to her now, and apprehensive about how much it was going to hurt when she walked out the door.

"Tell me you don't want me," she said simply. "Tell me you don't feel the way I do, that I don't have a chance, and I'll leave it be. But if that's not the case, I'm not going to give up. I am part-Black, you know - I can be very determined when I want something."

The corner of Remus' mouth twitched as though he was going to smile, but he thought better of it. He stayed silent.

"Tell me, Remus- "

"I can't," he whispered.

"Then why- "

"Because no!" he exclaimed, turning away from her again. "Because it won't work! What happens when you meet someone younger, someone whole, someone who can give you the life you deserve? What happens if you decide you want children? I can't give you children. I can't give you a home or a future or security... hell, I can't even protect you from me!"

That threw her. She shook her head. "I don't understand, you always take your potion. Why wouldn't that protect me?"

Remus turned back to her. "Do you want to know something?" he asked, his eyes bright. She nodded. "Well, I'll tell you, shall I? The reason I wasn't there when you woke this morning was because I couldn't stand laying next to you anymore. I couldn't stand the way you smelled. It was driving me insane. Do you know why that was?"

Tonks shook her head, her eyes wide.

"Because you smelled like me. Only better - you smelled like sex and me, and it thrilled me to know that I'd marked my territory," he said, his face twisting into a grimace as though the words had created a bad taste in his mouth. "Is that what you want to be, Tonks? _Territory?!_ " He wanted to scare her. It would be better for her to run from him rather than run to him.

Tonks couldn't help it, she licked her lips at his rough voice. Remus' nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed as he caught the faint scent of her arousal. He shook his head.

"You've really no idea, Tonks," he said lowly. "I could hurt you. I may want to hurt you. And if you willingly put yourself in my presence at that time, I don't know that I could stop myself. I'm an animal."

Tonks suppressed the urge to make a crude comment about that, settling instead for squaring her shoulders and looking up at Remus defiantly. She knew he was attempting to be noble, but she also knew that she'd quite like to be Remus' territory. It wasn't about feminism or sexism or any other _'-isms'_ , it was about wanting to belong to another person, and Tonks was feeling more and more that Remus was the person she wanted to belong to. But she wanted him to belong to her, too, and that was the problem.

Tonks huffed, the turned and walked into his bathroom. Checking herself in the mirror, she quickly turned her hair bright pink again and shortened it to her usual spikes. She also morphed away the rather large hickey on her neck, but that was more for Remus' benefit than hers - she had no problem displaying his love bite, but their current conversation told her that he would have a problem with it.

"Well," she said, happy with her appearance. "I'm off to work. Someone's got to be the breadwinner in this family." She walked up to him and swiftly kissed his cheek before he could protest and headed for the door. "Oh, and Remus?" she said, waiting for him to look at her. _"Roar."_ She winked at him and was gone.

* * *

 

Remus stood, frozen, in the middle of his bedroom and tried in vain to make sense of what just happened. He'd done what he knew he needed to do. He'd pushed her away, given her good reasons and a logical argument... Then why did he feel as though it had been a waste of his time? Why did he have the distinct impression that his words, instead of scaring her off, had the exact opposite effect on Tonks? Why did he feel as though he'd lost the argument when he'd had logic and reason on his side?

He started pacing. Up and down, up and down, up and down - Remus replayed the conversation in his head while wearing a path in the floor. Clasping his hands behind him as he walked, the former professor went through every sentence and every look. He was positive that he'd explained himself carefully and relatively calmly - except for one or two outbursts - and he still couldn't figure out where he'd gone wrong.

During his pep talks to himself that morning, when he'd gone over everything he needed to say to Tonks, he'd come up with only two ways the conversation could end. Either she would be furious with him and maybe slap him before storming out of the room, or she tearfully tell him she understood and ask if they could still be friends. There was nothing to prepare him for her completely disregarding everything he'd said and walking out as though they were now in a relationship. Ridiculous. Tonks was a smart girl, there was no reason for her to behave so... _illogically_!

Remus spent the better part of the morning working himself into a state before realizing that what he really needed was to talk to Sirius. There was, of course, the possibility that Sirius would punch him in the nose for his behavior - and part of Remus wondered if that wouldn't help him - but at least he'd listen. Remus left the safety of his room to go in search of his friend. Finding him in the kitchen with Harry and the others who'd floo'd back to Grimmauld as soon as Molly had let them, he met Sirius' eye and tried to silently tell him that he needed him. Sirius got the message and excused himself, following Remus into the sitting room where Remus locked the door and put up a silencing charm.

Sirius, reading the mood correctly, grabbed the firewhiskey and two glasses while Remus fell onto one of the sofas. Pouring them each a generous amount, he set one glass in front of Remus and got comfortable, knowing from experience that it could take a while for Remus to come out and say what was bothering him.

Remus ran a hand over his face. "I slept with Tonks last night," he said quietly.

"Good for you," Sirius answered.

"No, Pads - you don't understand. I'm in deep with her and I don't know what to do," Remus said, resting his head on the back of the sofa and staring at the ceiling.

"Well, if you're asking for my blessing, you know you don't need it - "

"I'm asking for advice on how to end it."

"End it?" Sirius asked, not sure he'd heard right. "Why?"

Remus gave him a withering look. "Sirius, you know I can't get involved with anyone! Absolutely no good will come of it! Never mind the ostracizing, the dark looks, the whispers behind her back - I could hurt her! What if something were to go wrong? What if I couldn't control the wolf? No, Tonks needs someone young and whole and able to give her the world. All I can provide is pain and poverty," he ended pathetically.

Sirius looked at him incredulously. "Remus, I don't get it. You two have been dancing around each other for damn near a year! She practically drools whenever you walk into a room and your eyes follow her whenever she walks out. I know you want each other, so what exactly is the problem?"

" _Wanting_ is not the issue! It's what I could do to her!" Remus said, voice raised as he stood up and resumed pacing. "We're in the middle of a war and hatred against werewolves has never been worse. If word got out that she was romantically linked to a beast, she could lose everything! I won't do that to her."

"I think you're underestimating her," Sirius said, choosing to ignore Remus' slight against himself. He was used to the man's total lack of self-esteem.

"Possibly," Remus conceded, thinking back to her reactions earlier. "But I'm not underestimating the danger I pose to her. Oh, gods - " he froze and looked at Sirius, terrified. "I didn't cast the spell."

"What spell?"

"The contraception spell!"

"Don't worry about that," Sirius shook his head. "Contraceptive potion is standard issue for unmarried female Aurors. Alice told me she had to sign a form when she wanted to go off it because she and Frank wanted kids."

"Oh, thank Merlin."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "So what do you propose, _Professor_?" he asked sarcastically. "Are you going to hole up in your bedroom and pout like a teenager? Going to leave the Order and everyone here to go live in some far corner of nowhere and get her out of your system?"

"I don't know," Remus said, distractedly running a hand through his hair. "I can't leave the Order."

"No you can't," Sirius agreed. "And if you try, I'll hunt you down and kick your arse myself."

The corner of Remus' mouth twitched in amusement, but he knew Sirius was - well, serious. Girls commiserated by eating ice-cream and cursing the men in their lives; men did it with a few flying fists. It had happened periodically in their younger days - when there was too much testosterone in the air, they had to create an outlet, and if there were no Slytherins to pick a fight with, they turned to each other. A few black eyes and split lips later and everyone was feeling a lot better.

"Out of curiosity, have you said any of this to her?" Sirius asked.

"Yes! I explained everything to her this morning!" Remus answered, his pacing picking up speed.

"And - ?" Sirius prompted.

" _And_ she acted as though she hadn't heard a word I said, kissed me on the cheek and went to work!"

Sirius tried not to laugh, he really did.

"Oh, shut up, Sirius!" Remus said angrily.

"Remus, this is _Tonks_ we're talking about! Not some wide-eyed kid who reads romance novels where the guy happens to be a werewolf! She's a fully trained Auror - hand picked by Moody himself - , a member of the Order and perfectly aware of what you are! In fact, I'm willing to bet every last galleon in my vault that right now she's searching for books on Lycanthropy for anything she didn't know already," Sirius said, standing.

"And that's another thing - money!" Remus said, completely ignoring everything else Sirius just said. "I can't even afford to buy her flowers, much less provide for her!"

"Moony, do you know the girl at all?" Sirius asked. "You buy Tonks flowers and she's likely to hex you for your trouble. And as for 'providing for her' - what century are you living in? Tonks is a highly capable young woman, Remus, and she deserves to be treated as such. She will never agree to being a 'kept woman'. Any relationship she enters into will have to be fifty-fifty, just like Jeannie."

"Any relationship she has with me will end up being ninety-ten," Remus countered.

"Dammit, Remus - if you're that worried about money, I'll go to Gringotts today and split my vault in half and deposit it in yours!" Sirius yelled, standing up.

"Don't threaten me with charity!" Remus yelled back.

"Don't make me hit you, Remus," Sirius said, his voice low and dangerous.

Remus crumbled. Turning away from Sirius, he staggered back to the sofa and collapsed onto it, downing his glass of whiskey and resting his head in his hands. "What am I going to do, Padfoot?" he asked, the sound muffled slightly.

Sirius sighed and sat back down. "Answer me this - do you care for her?"

"I think I'm in love with her," Remus answered, looking lost. Sirius nodded.

"Well, it looks to me like you're screwed," Sirius answered. Remus looked up to glare at him. "Although why you think that's a bad thing, I'll never know."

* * *

 

"I slept with Remus last night," Tonks said quietly, after casting a _Muffliato_ on the table at Fortescue's where she and Jeannie were meeting up for lunch. Diagon Alley was much quieter than either witch had ever seen it, and they both knew why. It had started. Attacks, disappearances, all the things that the government had been denying or blatantly covering up were now front page news - well, next to Sirius' story, that is.

"Good for you," Jeannie replied, looking up from her bowl of Florean's finest ice-cream.

"Apparently not. This morning he gave me a list of reasons why it was a bad idea."

"Did any of them make sense?" Jeannie asked, having a bit of experience with 'Remus reticence'.

"No! Basically _'Yes, I know we've known each other for a year now, but I should tell you I'm a werewolf'_ ," Tonks mocked.

"Like you didn't know," Jeannie snorted.

"Exactly! Who the hell does he think he is? He came this close to being patronizing," Tonks said, pinching together her thumb and fore-finger. "Anyway, I'm going to Flourish & Blotts after work for books on werewolves. Have you got any at home?"

"I don't know," Jeannie said, thinking. "Max might - I could ask him. But you know most of those books are biased."

"Oh, I know, but I'll be damned if I'm caught unprepared again for another lecture," Tonks answered, making a face. She picked moodily at her dulce de leche and Jeannie took in her brown hair.

"That bad, huh?" she asked, pointing to Tonks' head. Tonks looked up and blew away a renegade lock of hair. She looked frustrated.

"It's been going in and out all bloody morning," she said grumpily. "You'd think a good shag would have brought out the rainbow! Fucking wolf."

Jeannie saluted that with her spoon and took a bite of her mint chocolate chip. "Good shag?" she repeated with a sly grin.

Tonks didn't answer, she just got this far-away look in her eye and bit her bottom lip.

Jeannie laughed. "So what did you tell him?"

"Oh, I pretended like I hadn't heard him. Gave him a kiss on the cheek and left. I told him that if he said he didn't want me then I'd give up - there's no use pining for something that simply isn't going to happen - but he couldn't do it, so I'm not giving up. Let him stew on that for a while," she said, nodding.

"He don't know you too well, do he?" Jeannie said, making Tonks laugh and flash pink.

"No, he don't!" she agreed. "He's right screwed, is what he is. And if I'm lucky, maybe I'll get screwed, too!"

* * *

 

By the time everyone arrived for the Order meeting, Tonks was feeling much better. Her hair had even managed to stay bubble-gum pink for about four hours now, even though her thoughts had repeatedly drifted to Remus. She'd finally realized that if she was going to act as though nothing was bothering her, she couldn't keep playing their earlier conversation again and again in her head, rather she would think of nicer things - like how good he always smelled or how much fun she had kissing him or how hot it made her to think of what they'd done together the night before...

Those thoughts bringing a smile to her face, she entered Grimmauld's kitchen to see nearly everyone there. The group seemed to be waiting only for Dumbledore and Minerva, so she headed over to sit next to Jeannie, walking past Remus on the way. Tonks noticed how his shoulders tensed when she passed and she couldn't resist running her fingertips along the back of his neck as she walked by. Sitting next to Jeannie without a word, the other witch took the cue from her and stayed quiet as well.

As if on cue, Dumbledore walked in looking grave. Laying that evening's edition of the _Daily Prophet_ on the table, he looked around the room. "I'm afraid I have some bad news," he said. "Today it was confirmed - we've lost Emmeline Vance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I did say things were going to get rough. We're really getting into the war now, so it will get heavy.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	47. A Burrow Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Harry's birthday party here...
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"Here, Sirius," said Molly, pressing a glass of cool liquid into his hand. "Have some lemonade."

"Thank you, Molly," he replied, taking a long drink of the beverage. He and Jeannie had just apparated to the Burrow for Harry's birthday and, in doing so, had walked into a scene of utter chaos. In other words, it was a normal Weasley Wednesday. Fred and George had gotten their new assistant, Verity, to close up shop for them and were currently showing Charlie, Ron and Harry their newest trinkets in the backyard, Molly was rushing in and out of the kitchen, Ginny, Hermione and Tonks were in the sitting room where Jeannie joined them and Arthur could be seen outside, hovering over the boys.

"Sirius," said a voice behind him. He turned to greet Bill Weasley and was met with not only Bill, but a tall, blond young woman who looked like she may be part-Veela. "I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Fleur Delacour." Sirius set his glass down on a nearby table.

"Enchantée, Mademoiselle Delacour," Sirius said, bending to kiss her hand. "Vous êtes encore plus belle qu'on ne me l'avait dit. _(You are even lovelier than I've been told.)_ "

"Oh, Monsieur Black! Tu parles français! _(You speak French!)_ " Fleur replied, clearly thrilled at finally finding someone civilized.

"Well, I _did_ ," Sirius said, "but it's been many years. You'll have to forgive my mistakes. And please, call me Sirius."

"Seerius," she purred. "Like ze staar."

"That's right," Sirius said, playing along. "I shine brightest at night." He winked at her. Fleur threw her head back and laughed - a deep, throaty sound that was effortlessly seductive. "Tell me, Miss Delacour, are you part-Veela?"

She nodded. "Oui. My grandmuzzer was one. But, eef I am to call you Seerius, you must call me Fleur."

Sirius smiled. "With pleasure, Fleur. Ah!" he said as Jeannie walked up to them. "Jeannie, this is Bill's fiancé, Fleur Delacour - Fleur, this is my girlfriend, Jeannie Jones."

"Eet is a pleasoore, Jeannie," Fleur said, holding out her hand.

"Enchantée, Fleur," Jeannie replied, shaking the young woman's hand. "Vous etes en compétition dans le Tournoi des Trois Sorciers, n'est-ce pas? _(You competed in the Triwizard Tournament, didn't you?)_ " Fleur nodded and opened her mouth to respond, but Sirius cut her off.

"You speak French?!" he asked Jeannie, an incredulous look on his face.

"Yeah," she said slowly. "So?"

"Why am I only hearing about this now?" he whined.

Jeannie shrugged. "It never came up."

"Oh, _something's_ coming up," Sirius replied, his eyes darkening. "Are you really telling me that in all the months we've been shagging, you could have been whispering filthy things in my ear in French?"

Jeannie put her hands on her hips, not quite believing what she was hearing. "Do you mean to tell me that all this time _you_ could have been whispering filthy things to _me_ in French?" she countered.

Sirius spluttered. "Right. Next time we have sex - everything's in French!" he stated with the air of a man handing down a proclamation from on high.

"Oh, you are such an arsehole!" Jeannie shouted as Sirius headed for the back door. He opened it, then turned back to her.

"I know that!" he shouted back. "And, what's more, _you_ knew that long before you shagged me!" Sirius pointed to her and nodded to emphasize his point, then walked out, slamming the door on his way. Silence filled the room.

"Well, that was interesting," Ginny piped up, looking like a cross between intrigued and shell-shocked.

"The man wants French, huh?" Jeannie asked rhetorically, a dangerous look in her eye as she stared at the back door. "I'll give him French. When I get through with him, he'll be walking funny," she growled.

Fleur laughed again. "Oh, Jeannie," she said. "I theenk I like you."

"What on earth was all that shouting?" Molly asked, walking into the room with a dish towel in her hands. "Oh, Fleur! Why don't you come into the kitchen, dear, and we'll talk about flower arrangements? I've got some ideas - "

"Excuse," Fleur said, kissing Bill on the cheek and following her future mother-in-law into the kitchen.

"I'm not sure I'm okay with you and Fleur being friends," Bill said, looking at Jeannie. She smirked.

"Don't worry, Bill, I won't corrupt her - I'll leave that for you," she winked at him. The long-haired eldest Weasley laughed and shook his head.

"I'm going outside," he said, making his way to the door. "Too many females in here."

* * *

 

"Sirius!" Harry shouted, running up to him.

"Happy birthday, son," he said, ruffling the teen's hair. "Feel any different? Older, perhaps?"

"No," Harry answered, grinning. "I only feel older when we go back to school and have to move to the next dorm."

Sirius laughed. "I know the feeling," he said. Every year he and James would marvel at the size of the tiny first years coming to Hogwarts for the first time and swear up and down that _they_ had never been that small themselves. Then Remus would cut in and tell them that yes, they had in fact been that small, and much more obnoxious to boot. Good old Moony, always the voice of reason. Except when it came to his cousin, apparently.

"Oh, did I tell you?" Harry asked. "I found the mirror!"

"Excellent! Where was it?"

"In the Room of Requirement. Right where I'd left it. Ron and I snuck in just before term ended and found the book I'd hidden it in," he explained.

Sirius sighed in relief. He had actually been worried about that. "Merlin, Harry, that's fantastic," he said. "Same rules as last year, yeah? Anytime you need me. I don't care what time of day or night. Especially now that I'm free."

"You've no idea how happy I am about that, Sirius," Harry said somberly. "I thought it would never happen."

"Me too, son, me too," Sirius replied, wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulders. "And just think - now you can introduce me to your Aunt and Uncle!" He laughed loudly as a nearly maniacal grin spread across Harry's face at the thought.

"Yeah," Harry said dreamily. "Introduce you to my Aunt and Uncle. You could come over and turn into Snuffles and I'll spray you with water, then let you inside to shake off on Aunt Petunia's furniture... or dig up all her flowers in the garden... actually, I think _just_ introducing you would do the trick - with your hair down and we'll make sure a couple of shirt buttons are undone so they can get a glimpse of your tattoos... of course, they might die from heart attacks, but sacrifices must be made... "

"Fucking hell, Harry," Sirius said, doubled over with laughter.

* * *

 

"I don't look that pathetic when I stare at Sirius, do I?" Jeannie quietly asked Hermione and Ginny, nodding towards Tonks who was gazing longingly out the window of the Burrow's sitting room. Jeannie knew Remus was outside somewhere and she wondered if Tonks knew she looked like a sad cocker spaniel.

The girls giggled. "Did Charlie do something to her?" Ginny asked.

"Not Charlie, Gin," Jeannie answered. "Tonks has set her sights on more _academic_ pursuits."

"She's after _Remus_?" Hermione hissed, looking shocked. Jeannie nodded.

"Good," Ginny said. "The man needs more pink in his life."

Jeannie laughed loudly. "Agreed. Only, right now he's being noble and doesn't think he deserves pink. All for Tonks' own good, of course," she added sarcastically.

"So that's why she's so sad?" Hermione asked. "He turned her down?"

"Yep. Gave her a list of bullshit reasons why they shouldn't be together and she's been looking like that ever since."

"Idiot man," Ginny said. "I hope he comes around. I think they'd make a cute couple."

"Really?" Hermione questioned. "You don't think Tonks is a bit... _flamboyant_ for him?"

"I think it's just what he needs," Ginny answered. "I like Remus, but he can get a bit stodgy, can't he? Tonks would keep him on his toes."

"Mmm," Jeanne agreed. "Is that for Tonks?" she asked Molly who had just appeared with a cup of what smelled like chamomile tea.

"Yes," the older witch answered. "She looks very down today. I though a cup of tea might cheer her up a little."

"Here, I'll take it," Jeannie said. Molly thanked her and she walked up to Tonks. "Keep making that face and it might get stuck," she said, making Tonks frown deeper. "Oh, come on - it's a birthday party and you're acting like someone's kicked your dog. Or werewolf."

"It's the werewolf that's kicked me," Tonks pouted. Jeannie sighed. "It's not fair."

"What?"

"He gave me a taste of him, then snatched it back away. It's not fair."

"Tonks, please don't tell me you're making that face simply because you haven't gotten laid since Remus," Jeannie said, trying to get her to smile. It didn't work.

"It's not that," Tonks insisted. "It's just... I dunno. It felt different, you know?"

Jeannie pulled out her wand and cast a quick _Muffliato_ so the girls couldn't hear. "What was different?"

"Being with him," she said. "It was different. The whole thing felt like... _more_. Different than Charlie, different than the other guys. Granted, there haven't been a lot of guys, but still. Remus was different." Tonks sighed and looked his way again. "It wasn't just sex. It was more. Maybe I _am_ in love with him."

Jeannie's eyebrows shot up. "In love with him?" she asked.

Tonks hung her head and nodded. "I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

"Remus is a good man, Tonksie. He's just a bit too noble for _your_ own good." That made Tonks smile. "Anyway, the sex was great, wasn't it?"

Tonks exhaled and grinned. "I would say you've no idea, but you're the one person here who knows exactly what he's capable of in bed."

"Does he still growl?" Jeannie asked wickedly.

"Oh, Merlin," Tonks said, nodding. "And his chest does this rumble/vibrate thing." She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I know, right?! And he does this nibble thing on your neck like - "

" - like he can't decide if he wants to bite or not! And those perfect hand-shaped bruises on your hips - "

" - and your arse. And - "

" - the back of your shoulders! And he's so fucking _big_! Gods, nobody's ever reached - " Tonks stopped mid-sentence as something caught her eye. A devious grin stretched across her face and Jeannie leaned closer to her so she could look out the window to see what had distracted her friend from the subject of Remus' penis.

The man attached to the penis was standing across the yard, leaning against the garden fence and surreptitiously having a cigarette with Charlie, but looking in Tonks' direction with a perplexed expression. Perplexion turned to horror when Jeannie stuck her head out the window and both witches waved merrily at him, smiling in a way that would look innocent to a boy like Harry or Ron, but was recognized by Remus as dangerous.

* * *

 

Remus was exhausted. The full moon had been the previous night and even though Harry had assured him numerous times that he wouldn't be offended if the werewolf didn't make it for his birthday, Remus was still determined to be there. _Easier said than done,_ he thought, stifling a yawn for the fourth time already - and he'd only been at the Burrow for an hour.

Before collapsing into bed that morning, he'd made sure to set his wand alarm just in case he slept past five o'clock that evening. Molly was planning supper at six, so he would need that hour to eat something small, take a pepper-up potion and drag himself into the shower. As luck would have it, he only slept until 4:57, so he had an extra three minutes to make himself presentable. Those three minutes came in handy, too, as he tumbled out of the Burrow's fireplace at 5:59.

"Oh, Remus!" he immediately heard as Molly rushed up to him. "You should be resting! Harry wouldn't have minded if you'd missed tonight, you know," she said, placing a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. "Hmm, you're still a bit warm. Are you hungry, dear?"

"I'm just fine, Molly, but thank you," he said, placatingly. "I will be ready for your good food whenever it's ready for me and I promise to go straight home to bed when the party's over."

Molly looked at him with an expression that told him she knew when someone was humouring her, but she nodded anyway. Out of the corner of his eye, Remus could see Tonks sitting by the window. As she made to stand, however, he followed Molly to the kitchen without even making eye contact. It was cowardly, he knew, but he'd made his decision and being near her would only wear down his resolve. Once in the kitchen, Molly refused his offer of help and instead sent him outside to mingle with the men-folk.

Being still so close to the previous night's moon, Remus opted to bypass Sirius, who was trying to teach Harry and Ron the correct way to throw a punch, and Bill and Arthur, who appeared to be debating goblin rights. Making his way across the yard, he walked up to Charlie who was leaning against the garden fence. As he approached, the acrid smell of cigarette smoke met his nose.

"Remus," Charlie greeted.

"How are you, Charlie?" Remus asked.

"Alright," the redhead replied. "You?"

"Managing," Remus answered with a small smile. "You wouldn't happen to have another fag on you, would you?" he asked.

Charlie cocked an eyebrow, but reached into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes and a Muggle lighter and passed them to Remus. The older wizard thanked him and pulled out a smoke, pressed it between his lips and lit it. Drawing a deep breath of nicotine, Remus smirked at the silver dragon on the lighter and passed it back to Charlie along with the cigarettes.

"I didn't know you smoked," Charlie said, pocketing the items once more.

"I don't generally," Remus answered. "Well, not anymore. I did when we were teenagers, but cigarettes cost money, you know." He took another puff. "It's been a stressful few weeks."

Charlie nodded in agreement. "Just don't let mum see," he said, letting the hand holding his own cancer stick fall on the other side of the garden fence where it was hidden from the kitchen's view.

Remus chuckled. "How ridiculous is this?" he asked, amused. "A thirty-six-year-old man hiding a smoke from someone _else's_ mother?" Charlie laughed as Remus held his cigarette in a well-practiced covert fashion.

The two men were quiet for a moment until Charlie spoke. "Can I ask you something?" Remus nodded. "Why does Tonks keep looking at you like you flushed her goldfish?"

Remus looked up in surprise to see Tonks at the sitting room window unabashedly staring at him with brown hair and a depressed look on her face. He sighed heavily and hung his head, shoulders drooping.

"Sorry," Charlie said. "I wasn't aware that it would be such a personal question. Thought maybe you two'd had an argument or something." He eyed Remus. "It's just that I haven't seen her real hair colour since we parted ways after graduation."

"That's her real colour?" Remus asked, genuinely interested.

Charlie nodded. "Yep. Only happens like that when she's severely depressed."

Remus shifted uncomfortably, guilt written across his face. "I thought dark blue was sad," he said.

"I didn't say she looked sad, I said she looked severely depressed," Charlie clarified. He hesitated. "Remus, I realise that whatever has happened between you two is none of my business, but she is still my friend. I don't like seeing her this way." His words were said quietly and without heat, but Remus still took them seriously. "Tonks only stays with her real colour when she _can't_ change it. If she's having trouble with her morphing, that's a problem."

Obviously the young man was perceptive. "After Sirius was acquitted," Remus began, "we all went out to celebrate and... I went home with Tonks." Remus didn't feel that Charlie needed details. "The next day I told her that it wasn't a good idea to pursue a relationship. I can do nothing good for her life or career and no matter how much I... " He took a deep breath. "She wants something I can't give. I'd like to - very much, but I can't. Any association with me will only lead to trouble for her, both personally and professionally, and that's not fair to her."

"Alright," Charlie conceded. "I suppose I can see your point."

Remus snorted. "Care to explain it to her?" he half-joked.

"Oh, no," the redhead laughed. "You're a big boy, you can do your own dirty work."

"I didn't want to hurt her," Remus said. "I was trying _not_ to hurt her, I - " he stopped and looked up, the sight of Tonks smiling at something catching his eye and distracting him. She caught him looking and grinned at him. Remus cocked his head in confusion, wondering what could have caused such a rapid change in mood, when Jeannie stuck her head out the window and both witches waved at him. A feeling of dread washed over him and it must have shown on his face because Charlie started laughing.

"Oh, priceless," Charlie snickered. "Two witches - _those_ two witches - both of whom you've bedded, in the same room with each other, laughing. Recipe for trouble, mate." It was a well-known fact amongst men that woman problems were nothing to laugh at unless it was someone else's woman problems - then they were hilarious. That, coupled with the fact that it was _Remus_ having woman problems made for the most entertainment Charlie'd had in months.

Remus stood there, horrified, until it dawned on him. "How do you know about Jeannie?" he asked, incredulous.

Charlie shrugged. "I'm her friend, too, you know." Remus rolled his eyes, silently cursing the phenomenon that was gossip. "And you know she's not shy about details, either, Biggus Dickus."

" _Fuck!_ " Remus hissed, turning around, bending over the fence and covering his face in his hands while Charlie guffawed.

"Ahh," Charlie sighed. "It looks to me like you're screwed, mate," he said, flicking the butt of his cigarette in the direction of a lone garden gnome who responded with a rude hand gesture.

"That's the same thing Sirius said to me," Remus replied, face still buried in his hands. Charlie chuckled again as his mother appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Men and boys!" Molly called. "Wash your hands and sit down! Food is ready!"

Remus sighed as Charlie nudged his shoulder. "Come on," the younger man said, "let's eat something." Flicking his cigarette butt towards the gnome like Charlie had done, Remus turned around and followed him into the house, where the smell of another Weasley family feast was beckoning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Apologies for any terrible mistakes with the few French lines... I don't speak it and google translate can only do so much. One more thing: I've written a companion piece to this story called Take It Where It Strikes. It's a Jeannie/Charlie/Tonks threesome and I think it goes really well with this chapter as back story, so check it out!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	48. Black Family Jewels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I had a guest review from FFnet spell-check my French from last chapter and I have gone back and edited it to match what they wrote and I hope that they will continue to French-check me whenever there are mistakes. Please feel free to pm me if you have an account here but, if not, please don't be shy about reviewing. I love each and every one and I'm glad you're all enjoying my story :)
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

_**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes** _

_**Purveyors of Aides to Magical Mischief Makers** _

The twins' shop was easily the most colourful spot in Diagon Alley. In fact, Sirius thought it might be the most colourful thing that he'd ever seen, with the possible exception of a very emotional day in the life of Nymphadora Tonks when the witch couldn't control her hair. Orange, red, purple, green and every shade in between was splashed on Fred and George's joke shop, drawing the eye directly to their building which was currently displaying their latest product:

_**Why Are You Worried About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worried About 'U-No-Poo' - The Constipation Sensation That's Gripping The Nation!** _

"Oh!" gasped Molly. "They'll be murdered in their beds!" The poor woman looked positively petrified and Sirius felt bad for her.

"No, they won't, Molly," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "The Death Eaters have better things to do and the twins are smart enough to look after themselves."

Harry's birthday had been on Wednesday, but the group had decided to wait until the weekend to do their shopping. Remus needed a day or two to be at full power, and the Order members wanted the Ministry employees of the group to be off work, so when Saturday rolled around, the Weasleys along with Harry and Hermione headed into Diagon Alley to make their annual trip for school supplies. In the group providing security were Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Jeannie, Moody and, of course, Arthur. Kingsley was on duty guarding the Muggle Prime Minister.

In addition to the kids needing their new books, it was also Sirius' first public outing since the celebration at the Three Broomsticks right after his acquittal. Although he'd never admit it to anyone, he had been quite nervous about it, having lived the past fifteen years with the majority of the Wizarding world thinking the worst of him. His fears were unfounded, however, as _The Quibbler_ had done a wonderful job of getting Sirius' real story to the public. Sirius didn't know this, but Jeannie had paid Xeno Lovegood to print several thousand copies of Skeeter's article with Sirius and the trial articles and had had them delivered to every public place she could think of.

For a week after Sirius' trial, the Leaky Cauldron, Gringotts and Fortescue's all had stacks and stacks of _The Quibbler_ next to the front door and since one could not visit Diagon Alley without stopping by one of the three, all of Wizarding Britain knew the truth. Whether or not they believed what was written, however, was another matter. Hence the group traveling together. Now that everyone knew Harry had been telling the truth about Voldemort, having him step out with Sirius Black, who also happened to be his godfather, was a very public and obvious show of solidarity. Moody's presence worked rather the same way, what with his having been a very high-ranking Auror at the time of Sirius' arrest in 1981.

So, Saturday morning, the group floo'd into the Leaky Cauldron and passed through the brick wall into Diagon Alley. They'd visited Gringotts first, then gotten their books, new robes and potions supplies and were now treating themselves to finally getting to see WWW. Sirius was particularly interested in this, both because of his past transgressions at the expense of Argus Filch and any teacher who happened to be in the area and because a good portion of the starting capital for the business had come from him. He wasn't really bothered with the business end of things, but he was happy to see that he'd make a good investment. The twins were clearly naturals and, if they weren't murdered in their beds as Molly feared, Sirius had a feeling that several generations of Hogwarts trouble-makers would revere them like Sirius and James had loved Gambol & Japes.

"Sirius Black!" came the voice of one half of the ginger duo, bounding across the shop to shake Sirius' hand. "Do you approve of what Fred and I have done with the place?"

"Hello, George," Sirius greeted, taking the twin's hand. "I have been absolutely dying to come in here! Everyone's been telling me you're raking in the galleons!"

"That we are, my dear investor, that we are!" George stated proudly. "Please feel free to sample anything that strikes your fancy. Harry's money is no good here, and the same applies to you."

"Well, why don't you give me a tour?" Sirius suggested.

"Delighted, Padfoot, delighted!" George gushed, making Sirius laugh. "We start out with the basics over here - " he gestured to his right, " Skiving Snackboxes, Dungbombs, Canary Creams and the like, then over here - " he waved his hand to his left, "we get into the slightly more dangerous items - Nose-Biting Teacups, Screaming Yo-yos and the ever-popular Boxing Telescope - " George cleared his throat as Sirius eyeballed him, both men clearly remembering the talking-to Sirius had given the boys about that particular product when Hermione had come downstairs with a black eye one morning the summer before. "You'll remember we did finally perfect the bruise removal paste," George said. "We sell it along with the telescope."

"That is good news," Sirius said. "Now, what about these 'spy products' Tonks was telling me about?"

"Ah, yes - they're up here," George said, leading Sirius up a spiral staircase where Ron was arguing with Fred.

" - but I'm your brother!" Ron cried indignantly.

"And that's our stuff you're nicking!" Fred replied with a grin, then spotted Sirius. "Sirius, old man! You finally made it in here!" he said, shaking his hand as Ron threw the items he'd been collecting to the floor and stomped away. "Nice jacket."

Sirius grinned. Dumbledore had finally convinced the Ministry to let Sirius have his things back and they had arrived just the previous morning, everything neatly packed into boxes and sealed with Spello-tape. Jeannie'd had an awful lot of fun at his expense, laughing at the clothes especially, which were now fifteen years out of fashion. She had, however, picked out a few items and altered them to fit in with 1996 so he could wear his own clothes for the trip to Diagon Alley. His favourite motorcycle boots had, of course, needed no work as they would never go out of style, and she'd found a workable pair of black jeans and a dark burgundy button-down. Sirius topped things off with his black leather jacket and had nearly been convinced to stay home when he'd caught Jeannie's interested look.

"Thank you. You're looking quite dapper yourselves," he said, laughing as the twins puffed out their chests and adopted a cocky air.

"We've decided to look like the successful businessmen we are," Fred said seriously, running his thumbs under the lapels of his very purple robes and sticking his nose in the air. "Isn't that right, Forge?"

"Quite right, Gred," George agreed, mirroring his brother's pose.

"Shitheads," Sirius laughed, shaking his head.

"Right, spy products," George continued, motioning for Sirius to follow him to the back of the store. "Here we have our old friends, the Extendable Ears - you may remember them - along with Decoy Detonators. You drop these little buggers and they run off in the other direction, make a loud noise to distract everyone and you make your escape. Now, this is new," he pointed to a stack of small boxes above the Decoy Detonators. "Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. It works like a smoke screen. You drop a bit of it, and a dark cloud surrounds you. The more powder you drop, the bigger the cloud."

"Gotta be careful, though," Fred interjected. "George and I kept bumping into each other when we were testing it out. The cloud doesn't just conceal you, it blinds you as well. Best to use it as you're making your getaway. Leave the others in the cloud as you escape."

Sirius shook his head. "Wow," he said. "If Harry can't survive this year with this stuff _plus_ the Map _plus_ the Invisibility Cloak, then he's completely hopeless."

"We finally got the charms right on the Shield Hats, too, and guess who bought them for their entire staff?" Fred said. "The Ministry! The DMLE now issues them to the Auror Department and the Minister's personal guards wear them as well!"

Sirius laughed loudly.

"Yeah," said George, "we're currently working on cloaks to go with the hats, but the charms aren't working the same."

Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Molly calling up to them.

"Sirius, have you seen Harry?" she asked. "I can't find Ron or Hermione, either. Are they up there with you?"

"No, they're not," he answered, sharing a look with the boys. "But it's a big store, Molly. Perhaps they're in the back somewhere."

"Hmm. Perhaps," Molly said, turning to head to the back of the shop. Sirius immediately moved to a semi-quiet corner and whipped out the mirror. Harry had told him that he'd found his mirror before leaving Hogwarts for the summer and Sirius prayed that the boy had had the presence of mind to bring it with him today.

"Harry Potter!" he hissed into the glass. A moment later, a boy with black hair and green eyes appeared.

"Yes, Sirius?" Harry said, trying - and failing - to sound innocent. Beside him were Ron and Hermione, standing so close that Sirius could tell they were under the Cloak.

"Where. Are. You." Three pairs of eyes widened.

"Er... "

" _Harry_ ," Sirius growled. "You have five minutes to get back inside the twins' shop before I come looking for you. Do you understand?"

"But we were following - "

"I don't give a flying fuck who you were following or why! Get your arses back here this instant!" Sirius felt slightly guilty as he saw Harry jump at being spoken to like that, but he got over it quickly. Harry was not a child and could no longer be treated like one. "And stay under the Cloak!"

"Alright," Harry replied. "We're on our way."

Two minutes and forty-three seconds later (yes, Sirius _was_ counting) saw the door to WWW open and nobody step inside. Watching carefully, Sirius saw the toe of a trainer occasionally peek out from seemingly nowhere as the invisible teenagers made their way to the least-crowded part of the store, then he saw Harry, Ron and Hermione come out from around the corner, looking for all the world as though they had just been admiring the pink puffskeins in the cage in the corner.

Harry looked around for Sirius and when he spotted him, shot the animagus an apologetic look. Sirius returned it with what he hoped was a 'disapproving father' glare, but that melted when Hermione followed Harry's gaze. The guilt he felt whenever he looked at her had dulled as he watched her recover and knew there would be little lasting damage from Dolohov's curse save for that nasty scar, but there was still the occasional pang, like when she looked up at him as though expecting him to fuss at her.

Despite the fact that Sirius considered Hermione a friend, he was still an adult and she still - well, not a child, but certainly not a peer. That was never more clear than in that moment, when she turned her chocolate brown eyes up to him and gave him a look that said she was very sorry for making him worry. He couldn't yell at her; he was still tempted to yell at Harry, but perhaps he would wait until Hermione had gone to bed or something. Sirius' frown collapsed and his shoulders relaxed as he looked back at her, and before he knew it, he was smiling and sending her a wink, letting her know he wasn't _too_ put out with them. That wasn't strictly true - he was _very_ put out - but it could wait. She smiled back before being pulled into a hug by a very relieved Molly.

"Please don't tell me they went for an adventure," said Remus, coming to stand next to Sirius and looking down at the kids. Sirius sighed heavily, giving Remus his answer.

"Moony, after we take them back to the Burrow, I'm going to make a trip to Gringotts. Come with me?" Sirius asked. There had been something on his mind since everyone's stay in the Hospital Wing.

Remus nodded. "Sure, Pads."

* * *

 

"It's the nineteenth, right?" Sirius verified as he and Remus stepped out of one of the Wizarding bank's roller-coaster carts.

"Yes," Remus answered, watching the goblin, Kardac, run his fingers over the door to the Black family vault. Being one of the oldest vaults and also one of the fullest, goblin magic was the only magic that worked on the doors. Not even Sirius could open his own vault without a goblin present.

The door to the vault shifted and shimmered and then seemed to vanish into smoke, and Kardac stepped back, allowing the men to enter. Remus was gobsmacked. He'd known, of course, that Sirius was ridiculously loaded, but seeing it in person was something completely different. Piles upon piles of gold sat on the floor with smaller piles of silver and copper in front of them. Shelves lined the entire vault and were filled to overflowing with gold and silver trinkets, cups, saucers and the occasional medieval-looking weapon.

Then there was the jewelry, which was where Sirius was headed. Heaps of precious and semi-precious gemstones sat in their own corner of the vault, some set in silver or gold jewelry, some on their own. There were even several large uncut stones that Remus felt certain could pay for half of London to live comfortably for at least a year. A large chest of drawers sat in the middle of it all and Sirius began rifling through it.

"I'd be careful about touching anything, Moony," he called over his shoulder. "The lot of it's probably cursed against anyone but a pureblood."

"Right," Remus nodded absently, perfectly content to simply stand in one place and ogle. "Godric, Sirius," he said quietly, making the other man chuckle derisively.

"Kardac?" Sirius called.

"Yes, Lord Black?" the goblin answered.

"A cousin of mine was disowned by my parents some twenty years ago. As the last Black, am I correct in thinking I can undo that and reinstate her into the family?"

"Certainly, sir," Kardac said. "It is a Blood Contract and will require your magical signature."

Sirius nodded. "Good. I'd like you to figure out what her inheritance would have been and separate that gold. I'll come in after the kids have gone back to school and do the paperwork."

"I will inform the Inheritance goblins of your intent, Lord Black," Kardac replied with a small bow.

"Thank you," Sirius said distractedly. "Ah! Here it is!" He turned and made his way back to Remus, weaving through the piles of loot and kicking a few things aside, his distaste for the lot of it clear. "Check this out, Moony," he said, showing Remus the piece he'd been looking for.

"It's beautiful," Remus said.

"Think she'll like it?" Sirius asked.

Remus nodded. "But she'll probably argue about it. Think it's too expensive."

"Probably," Sirius agreed, "but every girl deserves a bit of pampering every once in a while, eh?"

* * *

 

"Hermione! Hey, wait up!"

Hermione had just exited the girls' loo when she heard Harry call her name. The three had been back at school for almost three weeks and Hermione was glad it was Thursday evening. Only one more day to go before the weekend. As much as she loved school, this year was proving to be exceptionally difficult. Dumbledore had finally broken down and given Snape the Defense Against the Dark Arts position and had brought back former professor and Potions Master Horace Slughorn, and while Hermione respected Slughorn as he was clearly very good, she couldn't bring herself to _like_ him. He was just too pompous for her taste.

"What's up, Harry?" she asked as he jogged up to her.

"Here," he said, handing her the homework planner she'd given him for Christmas one year, but was now serving the purpose of hiding the two-way mirror. Harry lowered his voice. "Snuffles wants to talk to you. He said there was a package waiting for you in your dorm."

"Okay," she said slowly, taking the planner and frowning at it. Why would Sirius want to talk to her and not Harry? He couldn't have gotten her something for her birthday, surely? She'd heard from her parents that morning and Harry, Ron and Ginny had already wished her a happy birthday...

"Lots of homework?" Harry asked as they walked up to the Fat Lady.

"Not much - I've already done most of it," she answered, pouting at Harry when he laughed. "Flutterby," she added, giving the Fat Lady the password.

"Come find me when you're done, yeah?" Harry said. "And maybe look over my Transfiguration... " he trailed off and gave her his best hopeful look.

Hermione scowled. "I'll come find you when I'm done," she said, making no promises about helping him with his homework. He smiled at her anyway and she shook her head as she headed up to the girl's dormitory. Sure enough, there was a package sitting on her bed.

"An owl dropped that off just after supper," said Parvati. "Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thanks, Parvati," Hermione said, then made a big deal of yawning widely. "Oh, I'm exhausted! I think I'm going to go straight to bed," she said, dropping her bag by her nightstand and grabbing her pyjamas.

"Okay," Parvati said, looking through a magazine. "Goodnight."

Hermione climbed onto her bed, pulled the curtains and set up a few privacy spells before pulling out the mirror. "Sirius Black," she said into the glass.

"Happy Birthday, kitten," Sirius said, the raven-haired animagus appearing in the mirror. "Did you have a good day?"

Hermione smiled. "It was alright, but I'm glad it's almost the weekend."

"Did you get your package?" Sirius asked.

She nodded. "Yes, just now," she said. "I haven't opened it, yet."

"Okay, good," Sirius said. "Now, there are two items in the package. One is from me and one is from Jeannie. Hers is clearly a book, but you might want to open that one after we're done talking."

"Why?"

"Because when I asked her what it was, she told me it was 'girl stuff' and to mind my own business," Sirius said, smirking as Hermione blushed. "I can only assume it's fairly personal."

"Tell her thank you," Hermione said.

"Will do, kitten. As for my present - how much do you know about pureblood customs?" he asked. "Specifically, coming of age customs?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Umm, nothing," she said, confused. "Why?"

Sirius chuckled. "Because giving and receiving gifts almost always comes with a catch when you're a pureblood. Gifts are given to strengthen bonds between Houses, to create a debt, to _provoke_ bonds and even to seal a betrothal. I didn't want you to open my present and think that I was tricking you into marrying me," he said, winking at her. Hermione laughed. "I wouldn't do that to you, no matter how much it would piss off my mother."

"Yeah, she might die _again_ ," Hermione said, laughing again at Sirius, who looked far too happy at the prospect.

"Anyway," he said, getting back to her present. "Go ahead and open it. I took this piece to Bill and he and I thoroughly tested it, so I know for certain there are no curses on it... "

_Curses?_ Hermione thought as she undid the package and picked up the smaller box. She tore off the silver wrapping paper to reveal a long, thin jewelry box. Upon lifting the lid, she gasped loudly. "Oh, Sirius," she breathed. Inside was one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry Hermione had ever seen. It was a bracelet made of the finest quality sterling silver with oval-cut sapphires surrounded by small round-cut diamonds set in the metal. Hermione knew very little about stones, but even she could tell they were real. And _expensive._

"I take it you like it," Sirius said.

"It's _gorgeous_ , but - Sirius, I can't accept this! It's too much!"

"Nonsense," Sirius said. "I didn't buy it. Anyway, it's customary in pureblood families for girls to inherit a few pieces of family jewelry when they turn seventeen. Now, technically, we're not blood-related, but I like to think of you as family. I knew everyone else would likely get you something practical, so I thought I'd get you something pretty."

"But - " Hermione trailed a finger down the bracelet, then looked back at Sirius. He was smiling at her tenderly. "Thank you," she said.

His smile widened. "You're welcome, kitten," he said, glad she didn't put up more of a fight. "Now, I know it's late - why don't you get some rest? You've still got one more day before the weekend."

She nodded. "Goodnight, Sirius."

"Goodnight, kitten."

The mirror went dark and Hermione set it down and reached for the book Jeannie'd sent her. Wondering what sort of book could be 'personal', she undid the wrapping. Hermione's eyebrows shot up as she read the title:

**_101 Things Every Witch Should Know... About Everything_ **

Hermione cautiously opened the cover and read the contents page. _Yep_ , she thought, _personal._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sirius can be a sweetheart, can't he? :)
> 
> Unfortunately, guys, I'm going to have to take a few weeks off :( Real life is forcing me to deal with it and I need some time. I am absolutely NOT abandoning this story and will be back as soon as humanly possible. Thank you so much for your support and love!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	49. First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: No, Sirius won't be getting any serious jewelry for Jeannie yet ;)
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

_Sirius,_

_Many Happy Returns_

_Love, Andy_

The note was attached to a cauldron cake with a candle in it, sitting on the kitchen counter of Grimmauld Place. Sirius reached out to take it, but old instincts took over, so he ran the usual security spells over it before being satisfied that it was, in fact, a birthday cake from his favourite cousin.

The day was October 23, and it was a day Sirius hadn't celebrated since 1980. His birthday had passed without recognition in 1981 as he was too preoccupied with preparations for making Peter the Potter's Secret Keeper. After that, of course, there had been no reason to celebrate. He had been in one prison or another since then. There was the problem, too, that it happened to fall nearly a week before the anniversary of James and Lily's deaths. If there was anything Sirius never wanted to do at that time of the year, it was celebrate anything, especially the fact that another year had passed without James.

Perhaps that was due for a change as well. There had been many changes in his life over the past couple of years and maybe, just maybe, it was time for one more. He smiled to himself as he felt arms come around him from behind, unknowingly chasing away the impending melancholy. Jeannie had opted to stay after the previous night's Order meeting and Sirius was fairly certain they would be dealing with an unhappy werewolf soon as he was pretty sure he'd forgotten the silencing charms. Although, he really couldn't be blamed for that seeing as it was incredibly hard to remember anything when Jeannie was on her knees in front of him, sucking on him like a lollipop.

"It's your birthday?!" she asked, shocked as she read Andy's note.

Sirius hummed an affirmative.

"When were you going to tell me?" She let go of him and hopped up to sit on the counter.

Sirius frowned. "I - probably wasn't going to," he said finally, his eyes flickering over her. She was wearing his t-shirt from the day before and nothing else, still looking thoroughly shagged with messy hair and a large hickey on her neck.

"Why not?" she asked, looking slightly hurt, as though he was deliberately keeping something important from her.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Old habits, I suppose," he said. "One more thing that I haven't had a real reason or desire to celebrate in many years." She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. "Why don't you and I - " Sirius shifted closer to her and settled his hips between her thighs, " - have that first date tonight, hmm?"

There would be plenty of time to brood on James and Lily as Halloween drew nearer, but Sirius felt himself suddenly _wanting_ to celebrate his birthday. With Jeannie. He wanted to do all the 'date' things - see her dressed up, take her to a fancy restaurant, drink expensive wine... it would be even better to make it a double date with Tonks and Remus, but apparently Moony was happy with his head shoved firmly up his arse and the one thing Sirius _didn't_ want was fireworks.

"What do you say, baby?" he asked, nuzzling her neck and running his hands up and down her thighs as she wound her arms around his neck and played with the ends of his hair. "Let me take you out? Somewhere... ridiculously expensive?" He'd asked her out officially back in July just after his acquittal and there was no good reason why they hadn't done it yet, they just hadn't.

"Mmm," she hummed, enjoying his ministrations on her neck and the vibration of his voice. "But Sirius," she pouted in mock seriousness, "I haven't got a thing to wear!"

Sirius laughed, remembering the boxes upon boxes of clothes that he'd helped move upstairs at her place the year before. "Well, then perhaps you need to go shopping. Take my money pouch and buy whatever you want."

"Sounds like a plan," she murmured, nipping at his jaw. "Any requests?"

"Something you don't mind me ripping off," he answered with a growl. Wrapping his hands around her waist, he lifted her off the counter and back onto the floor, spun her around in the direction of the stairs and gave her a smack on the arse to get her moving. Jeannie yelped and scampered back to his room to get dressed and snitch his money pouch before he could change his mind.

* * *

 

When Jeannie showed back up at Grimmauld Place in a dark blue evening dress with silver edging, showing her Ravenclaw pride, Sirius felt his mouth water. When she walked up to him and kissed his cheek, he felt his breathing quicken. When she slipped her hand in his and prepared for apparition to his restaurant of choice, he felt a part of him that had been long dormant gasp with life and when he watched her clean the fork she'd eaten her cheesecake with using just her tongue... he felt _another_ part of him spring to attention.

There was no longer any doubt in his mind that he was in love.

Sirius had been toying with the idea for months now. He was beginning to wonder just how _long_ he'd been in love with her. The woman who'd handled him seemingly effortlessly at his lowest points despite having just met him. The woman who'd given him sanctuary in her home and her heart almost exactly a year ago during his annual Halloween breakdown. He'd not batted an eye when she'd needed blood to stay alive after the disaster at Malfoy Manor, he simply rolled up his sleeve and let Hermione stick a sliver of metal into his arm.

Jeannie had been the first woman to touch him without flinching in many, many years and his occasional setbacks and slip-ups never seemed to put her off. She'd made him laugh, corrected his out-of-date colloquialisms (Merlin forbid he say the word 'funky' in her presence) and never failed to include him while the rest of the world - save for Remus and Tonks - was content to keep him cooped up and out of the loop.

He could still remember their first real exchange. Standing in the doorway of his mother's bedroom the day after she'd been introduced to the Order, he'd been cynical and slightly rude, but it had simply bounced off her and instead of admonishing him like he'd become accustomed to from Molly, Jeannie looked him in the eye and declared that she wanted to be his friend. _His friend._ They'd know each other less than twenty-four hours and she wanted to be his _friend_.

Of course, it hadn't hurt that every time she'd walked in the door, his attraction to her increased. What had started as a normal reaction to a sexy female after years of being denied such pleasure had quickly evolved into vivid fantasy and before long every nerve ending in his body recognized her presence. He started smelling her around the house and it became a real trial for his brain to give her as much attention as other parts of his anatomy. He'd get hard at the very prospect of her coming over and he wouldn't deflate until well after she'd left and he'd had to succumb to temptation.

Sirius had honestly lost count of how many times he'd pleasured himself to visions of Jeannie. An early morning wank in the shower was particularly good when picturing her kneeling before him, her long hair soaked and water running down her body while she took him into her mouth, one hand wrapped around his shaft and the other disappearing between her own legs. Late at night, he'd put up a silencing charm and watch his phantom ride him, head thrown back in ecstasy and breasts bouncing. Or rub himself into the mattress imagining her pinned beneath him, moaning his name and locking her legs around his hips.

He now knew that fantasy paled in comparison to the real thing, as they'd acted out every scenario he could come up with - and even a few of her own. He'd taken her in the shower, watched her ride him, pinned her down and pounded until they were both spent and sweaty... Jeannie was an adventurous and creative lover and was perfectly at ease telling him what she wanted and needed.

And he loved that about her.

He loved the frank way she spoke, the no-bullshit attitude she adopted when arguing with Dumbledore, the way she stood her ground when she knew she was right. He loved the look of concentration on her face when she brewed her potions that was in direct contrast to the relaxed way she moved around her kitchen when she cooked for him at her place. Lately, he loved the way she looked at him as though finding something she'd been searching for. As though he was a puzzle piece that fit perfectly. As though he made something click into place.

The way she was looking at him now.

* * *

 

Sirius paid their bill and they walked out of the restaurant. There was a chill in the air due to it being late October and Sirius, in an act of chivalry mindful of their Muggle surroundings, peeled off his suit coat and draped it over Jeannie's shoulders as he led her to the darkest spot he could find to apparate them back to Grimmauld. He'd wanted to go back to her place, but she'd insinuated that the rug in front of the fireplace of Grimmauld's sitting room was a spot they'd yet to 'christen' properly and her eyes had promised to rectify that. Thoroughly.

Sirius found a suitable apparition point and wrapped his arms around Jeannie's waist, pulling her close. She responded by draping her arms around his shoulders and gazing up at him. Unable to help himself, he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. She yielded instantly, opening up to him and sighing into his mouth. Sirius took advantage of that, slipping his tongue inside to stroke hers and twisting sharply at the same time, disappearing from the alley behind the restaurant and reappearing on the front stoop of Grimmauld.

Jeannie squeaked in surprise as the doorknob dug into her back when Sirius pushed her up against the door. She hadn't even noticed the apparition. It was starting to scare her a little how easily her brain shut down whenever Sirius was near. Jeannie was now hopelessly addicted to everything about him and she was stubbornly avoiding what she knew to be true.

That she was in love with him.

Jeannie had always been a romantic and she was always happy for people who were in love with each other, but she never honestly thought she had a chance at that. She wasn't the girlfriend, she was the fling. The one-night-stand, the good time for the weekend. She was not the girl who was introduced to mothers and held hands in public. She didn't know how to be that girl. Luckily, Sirius' mother was dead and hidden behind a brick wall. That made things easier.

The two stumbled into the house and down the hall to the sitting room, still connected at the mouth. Sirius' hands roamed Jeannie's back, then traveled down to cup her arse and grind her against him. Her hands were busy exploring his shoulders and chest. Sirius had filled out some after his acquittal and, while he was still lean, he was no longer bordering on a teenager-like scrawniness. His body was now defined and sculpted and he looked and felt healthy and powerful.

They made it to the sitting room and Sirius broke away from her briefly to pull out his wand and cast the usual spells. He didn't want Remus or any of the Order walking in on this. Not tonight. Tonight felt different. He conjured a fire in the fireplace, too, and went to transfigure the sofa into a bed as usual, but Jeannie stopped him. Placing her hand on his wand arm, she pulled out her own and turned it on the rug in front of the fire.

The noble and ancient rug transformed into a soft, downy comforter and a set of pillows under Jeannie's wand and she placed a cushioning charm on the floor for good measure. Satisfied with the modifications, Jeannie turned back to Sirius. Placing her wand on the coffee table, she simply stood and waited for him to come to her. She didn't wait long. Sirius followed her lead and laid his wand down next to hers, then stepped closer. He brought a hand up and cupped her face while the other wrapped around her waist once again. Jeannie threaded the fingers of one hand into Sirius' hair and gripped his side with the other, clutching the fabric of his shirt. The kiss began tender, but hungry.

They hadn't spoken a word to each other since the restaurant, and they hadn't needed to. Their relationship had changed, but neither really knew how to acknowledge that and move forward. It scared them both so, instead of forcing the issue by talking and possibly mucking things up by saying the wrong thing, they were both content with silence. Sirius' fingers deftly unzipped Jeannie's dress as his tongue explored her mouth and he drew the straps off her shoulders as she started on his shirt buttons.

Jeannie got Sirius's shirt open and dropped her arms so her dress could fall to the floor. She reached back up and pushed the shirt off his body completely and they broke the kiss to gaze at each other. Sirius caressed her skin with the back of his knuckles, starting at her cheek and following the flickering shadows of the firelight and her tattoos down her neck, across her collarbone and down to her bare breast, where the light from the fire was catching something shiny. He cupped her breast and flicked his thumb over her nipple, feeling the stud.

"When did you do this?" he asked, grinning.

Jeannie looked slightly confused. "When I turned seventeen," she said. "Have I really never had these in for you?"

Sirius shook his head. "I would have remembered this." He flicked her nipple again as she reached up and removed the pin from her hair, letting it down so it would cascade over her shoulders.

Sirius toed off his shoes and scooped Jeannie up, kneeling on the floor to lay her down amongst the pillows. Sitting back on his heels, he undid his trousers, then made short work of undressing the rest of the way while staring at his witch. Jeannie lay on the comforter with her head on the pillows and only her panties and heels still on. Her tattoos seemed to move in the flickering light and there was a look in her eyes Sirius had never seen before. It looked like love and he was fairly certain it was reflected in his own eyes as she raised herself up on her knees and ran her hands over his body.

Jeannie's head dropped back as Sirius licked and nibbled on her neck and she laid back down, taking him with her. He moved steadily down her body, pausing to pay equal attention to her jeweled breasts and flick his tongue against her hipbone where he knew she was ticklish. She squirmed and he took pity on her, not in the mood to tease tonight. He dragged her panties down her legs as he went and when he got to her feet, he removed them completely along with her shoes, then began licking and nibbling his way back up.

Sirius smirked as her legs came apart eagerly for him and Jeannie's eyes heated up as he settled between them, her thighs going over his shoulders and her pussy inches away from his face. Her hands came down, one reaching into his hair and the other entwining her fingers with his as they rested on her stomach. Sirius left a wet kiss on the inside of each thigh before tasting her core. _Delicious,_ he thought. _Every single time._

He licked her to her first orgasm, not even needing to use his fingers as he was so familiar with her body and what made her break, then crawled up and kissed her deeply, sharing her taste with her. Jeannie hooked a leg around his hip and bucked, telling him to roll over as she wanted to be on top. Sirius allowed it and Jeannie raised herself slightly, took hold of his cock and sank down on it, joining their bodies. They both moaned in pleasure. Sirius filled her perfectly and Jeannie was the hottest, tightest, wettest thing he'd ever had and it felt just as right now as it had the first time they'd had sex.

Jeannie rode him slowly, keeping her eyes on his the whole time. She ran her fingers all over his chest and stomach, tracing tattoos and scars as he did the same to her. Sirius sat up, bracing himself with one arm while wrapping the other around Jeannie and brought his lips to her breast. She moaned and her fingers went into his hair again, holding him to her. He licked and sucked and nibbled, biting down on the soft flesh and tugging on the piercing with his teeth before moving to the other one and repeating the process.

When her breathing became irregular he laid back and pulled her down with him, hugging her close and planting his feet on the floor to give himself the leverage to thrust up into her. Jeannie cried out at the change of pace and buried her face in his neck, her breath hot and quick against his skin. They were both close, so Sirius gripped her hip with one hand and her shoulder with the other to hold her in place and pistoned his hips upward rapidly, the smacking sounds of flesh on flesh joining the pants, grunts, growls and cries already echoing around the room.

" _Jeannie,_ " Sirius whined, the feeling of her legs beginning to shake bringing his orgasm ever closer. "I'm so close, baby... _ungh_... come with me, _please_!"

Her reply was her body going stiff, her breath catching, her nails digging into his upper arms and her teeth biting down on his shoulder as she screamed. Her cunt clamped down on him violently, ripping his release from him as he lost all rhythm and simply bucked erratically until he was empty. A deep groan of satisfaction rumbled through his body and sent shivers through hers as they both twitched. When she finally came down, she raised her head and kissed her way from his neck to his lips, taking his mouth lazily.

Three little words rang in her head, but she didn't have the courage to put them out there, so she kissed him instead, hoping he would understand. Sirius, for his part, had been biting back the same words all night. He'd never told a woman he loved her before and the thought that he might be wrong - that his feelings might not be returned was enough to make fear override emotion for the time being. There, on the floor in the sitting room of number 12 Grimmauld Place, the two naked people laying in each other's arms were both thinking the same thing:

_I love you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Not to kill anybody's buzz, but we're still pretty far from the happy ending. I'm just making things more complicated and angsty ;)
> 
> Love you, too, Worthfull1


	50. Missions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I'm so, so sorry about the wait for this one! I haven't had internet for weeks now and I'm uploading this from the library :( This chapter's fairly narrative, but I haven't done an Order scene in a while and I need to set up the next few chapters and plot lines.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Conversation buzzed in the kitchen of number twelve as the Order of the Phoenix gathered for a meeting. Being November, the English winter was upon them and people peeled off layer after layer as their bodies acclimated to the warmth of the house. Hats, coats and scarves were all collected and hung neatly in the hallway and mugs of piping hot cocoa were distributed by a tiny creature with enormous ears wearing a pink dress probably designed for a small child.

Since coming to work for Sirius ten months prior, Winky had outdone herself in attempting to bring back some of Grimmauld Place's former glory and had polished and buffed and cleaned and dusted and generally de-grimed nearly every surface in the dwelling with the exception of old Walburga's bedroom and the attic - the only two places Sirius had forbidden her from going. While the house had never really been a bright and cheery place, it was also no longer the miserable dungeon falling down around their ears that it had been when Kreacher was in charge of upkeep.

This was noticed by nearly everyone who visited these days and apparently Hermione's influence had rubbed off on a fair few of them because they made sure to compliment Winky on her skills. The elf blushed bright red with each praise and bounced on the balls of her feet, the movement making her ears quiver comically. It got to the point where Sirius finally had to limit who said what to his elf because every time there were too many good reviews, Winky would go into a frenzy and when she ran out of things to re-clean, Sirius would find her working on something completely unnecessary, like setting the table in the formal dining room for a dinner party that was never going to happen.

On evenings that included Order meetings, Winky was in her element. She would make trays of finger foods for during the meeting, cook three-course meals for after the meeting and finish everything off with some delectable dessert and coffee. Kingsley joked more than once that he was going to move in and that he was gaining weight. Sirius watched Winky blush and quiver, then scurry around the rest of the room, taking the last of the coats and directing the guests to the trays of food on the table. He laughed to himself as his gaze moved to Jeannie, who was chatting with Fleur in French.

"I love it when she speaks French," he said to nobody in particular.

Max, who was standing next to him, chuckled. "Yes, her French is good. Much better than her German," he said loudly, teasing her.

Jeannie looked up and pouted. "My German is good," she protested.

"Your German is shit," Max countered, laughing as she looked highly affronted.

"That's not what Heinrich said!" she exclaimed.

Max rolled his eyes and snorted. "That's because Heinrich was too busy staring at your arse to listen to your accent."

"Well - that's - okay, maybe," she spluttered indignantly.

Sirius laughed. "Who's Heinrich?"

"Animal tamer," Max explained. "He lived with the circus for about a year. Had a major crush on Jeannie."

"Ooohhh," Sirius cooed teasingly, moving to sit down beside his girlfriend. "And was the feeling mutual?" he asked, an innocent expression plastered across his face.

Jeannie scowled at him. "Not really. I didn't _dislike_ Heinrich and there was nothing really wrong with him, it just wasn't a good time," she shrugged. Max smiled tenderly at her and Sirius suspected there was meaning behind those words, but before he could ask, Dumbledore called the meeting to order.

"Good evening, everyone," he said, blue eyes twinkling around the room. "First of all, allow me to update you all on the condition of Miss Katie Bell. The young lady continues to remain under Madam Pomfrey's excellent care, and will probably do so for a while yet, but there have been small signs of recovery. Poppy believes that with care and rest, she will be back to herself eventually."

The room breathed a collective sigh of relief. While most of the Order suspected that Dumbledore knew more than he was letting on about who the culprit may be, the fact that someone could be so callous as to curse a student in that way had shaken them. It meant that either this person didn't care who they killed to get to their intended target or that they were simply picking off defenseless kids for the fun of it. Either way, it was not good and way too close to home for Sirius who, despite having direct communication with Harry through the mirror, still worried.

_CRASH!_

The group looked towards the doorway as Tonks stumbled into the room muttering darkly about 'stupid coat racks in the bloody way...'. Her eyes darted around the room uncomfortably before conjuring herself a chair and sitting in the corner. Jeannie snuck a look at Remus, who was determinedly not looking Tonks' way, and rolled her eyes at Sirius.

The Tonks/Remus situation was the only thing Sirius and Jeannie really fought about. It wasn't their only difference of opinion - her tolerance of Snivellus continued to be a sore spot for him - but as Tonks was Jeannie's best friend and Remus was Sirius', the conflict between werewolf and metamorphmagus pitted animagus against acrobat more often than was fair.

Sirius didn't like the way Remus was treating his cousin, but he'd known Remus since they were eleven and understood the man's reticence while Jeannie tried to make parallels between Remus and Max. Because of his circus family, Max had never experienced first-hand the continual persecution Remus had and Jeannie didn't understand that. She knew the difficulties associated with Lycanthropy, but didn't get why Remus acted the way he did. Surely, if a man had that much against him, he would want someone on his side, fighting in his corner and reminding him that he was loved, right? Apparently not and Jeannie just didn't get it. All she saw was her best friend neck-deep in depression and the man who was responsible deliberately ignoring the situation as though hoping it would go away on it's own.

Jeannie and Sirius had had more than one heated argument about it and Sirius promised to kick Remus' arse himself if it went too far while Jeannie insisted that it had gone far enough already and if it went any further, _she'd_ be taking care of Remus - and his arse wasn't the only thing he'd be nursing. Their last argument had ended with Sirius pleading with Jeannie to let him handle it for now as he knew Remus best and she had reluctantly agreed, promising to look after Tonks as well as she could. The (usually) pink-haired witch could be very stubborn when it came to emotional issues.

"Sorry," Tonks muttered, apologizing for her tardiness.

"Please do not worry, Tonks," Dumbledore greeted cheerfully. "We'd only just started."

The group went on to discuss the recent Death Eater activity which had, at least in England, been fairly infrequent. What with almost all of Voldemort's right-hand followers locked away in Azkaban fortress, the attacks on Muggleborns and Muggles had decreased in number. They had _in_ creased, however, in severity and everyone agreed the cause was most likely Bellatrix.

Those who knew the deranged witch best recognized the signs of her involvement in the murders they'd had to clean up. A family of five in Hampstead had clearly been tortured cruelly before being killed and an elderly couple in Middlesborough had suffered much the same way. It looked almost as though Bella was getting back on the horse, as it were. Testing the skills that had gotten her thrown in prison the first time. The last case they'd responded to, however, had shaken them all.

In a town called Thirsk, in Yorkshire, lived a Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham. They were Muggles, but their eight-year-old daughter had, according to Dumbledore, shown signs of magic. Indeed, little Olivia Cunningham already had her name down to take her place at Hogwarts in a few years' time, but it was not to be. On Halloween night (the timing of which being almost as cruel as the attack itself) the Order responded to Kingsley's call after the DMLE had been notified about Dark magic in the area.

Remus was first to arrive, followed shortly by Jeannie and then Sirius. As Jeannie approached the house, Remus staggered out of the front door, nearly knocking Jeannie over in the process and fell to his knees, vomiting violently on the front lawn. Jeannie entered with trepidation, the sight of a man who had likely seen similar horrors before still being that affected making her wonder just what she would find inside, and she found herself having to fight to keep her own supper in her stomach.

Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham were bound to their chairs, eyes still open in terror and mouths agape in silent screams, but there was no sign that the blood in the room had come from them. Rather, it had come from Olivia, whose small, delicate body lay in the middle of the room. The poor girl had been ripped to shreds and mauled savagely and it did not look like a wand had been used on her at all. Suddenly, Remus' reaction made sense. He had personal knowledge of the monster responsible.

"There is no doubt that Greyback was involved?" Dumbledore asked gravely.

"None," Remus shook his head. "I smelled him even before I walked in. It's classic Fenrir. He's always preferred children." Frowning, he scratched absentmindedly at his left shoulder, the site of his original bite. "The more helpless, the better, and who could be more helpless than a little girl with Muggle parents?"

"So, he is attacking even without the moon," Dumbledore mused. "That is most disturbing. Do either of you have any information on how the rest of the werewolf community sees this?" he asked, looking at Remus and Max.

"I've been thinking about that," Max said. "There is a German pack, the Bardulfrodel. The first were's I ever met were from this pack. They contacted the circus that I left with and helped me get to them. I think I'd like to go back and see if I can communicate with them."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "I think that would be acceptable," he said slowly. "Where do you think they stand?"

"Honestly, I do not know," Max answered. "I spent maybe a week with them over twenty years ago and their political views were the last thing I was concerned with at the time, but we know that Voldemort is starting to recruit outside of England, so I think we should at least get an idea of who we can talk to."

"Alright," Dumbledore agreed. "Let me know when you would like to leave." Max nodded. "Now, the last order of business for tonight involves Sirius and Jeannie," he said, pulling out matching envelopes and handing one to each of them. "Professor Slughorn has asked me to deliver these to you. He did not say what they were, but I think it is a safe bet that they are invitations to his Christmas party."

"Oh, goody. Christmas party," Jeannie said sarcastically.

Dumbledore smiled. "I highly doubt any harm will befall you this time, Jeannie," he said. "Besides, Sirius will be there to monitor the situation. That is, of course, if you accept and I strongly suggest that you do."

"Why's that?" Sirius asked. "Old Sluggy wasn't interested in me at school."

"Not true, Sirius," Dumbledore countered. "He was simply unhappy that you'd ended up in Gryffindor. Now, you have a more substantial claim to fame than just being a Black lion. You escaped Azkaban, successfully eluded capture for three years, were acquitted of the crimes that made you infamous, are rumoured to be dating Jeannie Jones and - last but certainly not least - happen to be the godfather of the 'Chosen One'."

"Well, when you say it like that," Sirius joked, puffing out his chest and straightening an invisible tie. The room chuckled.

"Arsehole," Jeannie jabbed and Sirius winked at her in response.

"You're going to make lovely arm candy, you know," he teased, that smirk of his at full measure.

"Fuck you," Jeannie laughed. "If there are as many Slytherins there as I expect, all I have to do is wear something that shows off may back. You know the kids have heard what happened last year from their parents. Then who'll be arm candy?" She stuck her tongue out at him.

Sirius barked a laugh and turned back to Dumbledore. "So, Sluggy wants us because we're famous or because he thinks we're in league with you?"

"Most likely both," Dumbledore admitted. "Horace is not stupid. His weakness is vanity. He likes to believe himself to be the power behind the throne, so to speak, and while it's true that he does have many influential connections and receives birthday cards from all sorts of powerful people, he was still trying to go underground when Harry and I caught up to him last summer."

"He doesn't have any real Dark sympathies, though, does he?" Remus asked. "I remember him as pompous and arrogant, but not cruel or malicious."

"No, Horace is no Death Eater," Dumbledore answered. "I don't believe he ever even thought about it, but he is smart enough to want connections on both sides. He does not want to have to choose. Horace is happy sitting on his fence."

The meeting ended shortly afterwards and Jeannie watched Dumbledore stand and walk out of the kitchen. The old man seemed to get frailer and frailer each time she saw him and she wondered once again about the curse that withered his hand. The black, necrotic-looking appendage gave her the creeps and she couldn't sit next to him anymore because she could sense the Dark magic lingering in it. However, he refused point blank to talk about it and would immediately change the subject should someone press him for answers.

As her eyes followed him out the door, they landed on Snape, who had spent the meeting hovering in the corner, as usual. The normally dour, anti-social man seemed even more so these days and Jeannie knew the whole 'double agent' act was taking it's toll on him. His eyes were locked on Dumbledore as well, but he had long ago mastered the art of schooling his features, so she couldn't tell what he might be thinking. He looked over to her when he noticed her staring and she gave him a half-smile. He did not return it, but he didn't scowl at her, either, before sweeping out of the room himself.

"Crushing on old Snivellus, are we?" Sirius asked caustically, following Jeannie's gaze. She glared at him. "Yeah, yeah, I know - brilliant at potions, risking his neck for us - blah, blah, blah. You sound like Lily."

Jeannie paused. "Lily? Lily who? Potter?"

Sirius nodded. "They were friends, didn't you know?"

"What?! Lily Potter and Severus Snape were friends?" Jeannie had never heard this.

"No," Sirius said. "Severus Snape and Lily _Evans_ were friends. I think James told me once they were from the same town or something but that was over long before she officially became a Potter."

"What happened?"

"Snape called her a Mudbood," Sirius growled.

"There's more to it than that," Remus cut in, giving Sirius a look.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "We - _James and I_ \- " he clarified as Remus cocked an eyebrow, "may have been picking on him a bit at the time. Lily stepped in to defend him like usual and he snapped. Said he didn't need help from a filthy Mudblood like her. As far as I know, she never spoke to him again, even though he damn near slept outside the Tower for a week trying to apologize. Git."

Jeannie thought about it. "What do you mean 'defend him like usual'?" she asked, not missing the way Remus stared pointedly at Sirius.

"Schoolyard rivalries, Jeannie," Sirius sighed. "Snape hated James and I on sight and the feeling was mutual. He never missed an opportunity to fuck with us and we returned the favor. Lily took exception to that and tried to step in. I think that was the real reason she hated James for so long."

Jeannie scowled. "Sounds like the schoolboy rivalry is alive and well even in adulthood."

Sirius rounded on her. "Severus Snape's chosen friends murdered my family, Jeannie," he said, his voice cold. "I loved Lily. She was my brother's girl and when she married James, she became my sister so, yeah, I hate the motherfucker and in case you haven't noticed, he hates me, too. Some things don't get better with time."

"Alright," Jeannie conceded, backing off. "Fair enough."

"You're damn right 'fair enough'," he muttered, now thoroughly pissed off. It was bad enough she accepted Snape, he would be damned if he had to listen to her scold him for the mutual bad blood.

* * *

 

The next morning Sirius woke up alone. Remus had headed up to bed after the Snape conversation and Jeannie had followed shortly after, but Sirius was in a mood and had stayed up drinking. He knew Jeannie didn't fully understand just how much pain he carried around on the subject of James and Lily and he hoped she never had to experience it, but he just couldn't stand it when she defended that greasy shit. Sometimes it was just best to leave things alone and, in an effort to get his temper back under control before going to bed, Sirius had polished off a fair amount of firewhiskey.

Nicely buzzed, he'd gone upstairs to find her already asleep, so he crawled in beside her and nodded off. He had no idea when she had left but her side of the bed was cold and her scent was fainter than usual, so she must have been gone a while. After finding no Jeannie in the kitchen, he gulped down a cup of coffee to clear his head and floo'd over to her place. Brushing the soot off his clothes, he walked up the stairs and found her sitting at her own kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee and poring over the crossword.

"Morning," she greeted evenly. "There's coffee if you'd like some."

Sirius ignored this, opting instead to sit across from her. "Why did you leave last night?" he asked, taking in her forced-casual posture.

"Because you were drunk," she answered factually, not looking up from her paper.

"So what? You've seen me drunk before."

Jeannie shook her head. "No, I've been _aware_ that you were drunk, but I've never been in your presence when you're drunk and I'm not going to be."

Sirius thought about it. Okay, possibly. He couldn't actually remember her being with him when he got drunk, just that she was around or in the house. Then another thought occurred to him. "Were you... afraid of me?" he asked quietly.

She sighed and finally looked at him. "No," she said, and he could tell she was being honest. "Sirius, if you want to have a drink, that's fine - I'll have one with you, but I'm not going to deal with drunk. I can't and I won't. I have my reasons. Please respect that."

"You don't trust me," he said after a minute.

"I trust you just fine," she countered. "It's Ogden I don't trust."

"Jeannie, I get drunk occasionally," he said, not understanding her problem. "Not nearly as often as I did last year and I don't like to party anymore like I did when I was a teenager, but it does happen once in a while. It's a form of release."

"Quite frankly, Sirius, I don't care what it is. I'm not telling you to stop getting drunk. All I'm telling you is that I'm not going to stick around for it. I have issues with drunk and you don't. That's all. If you want to get drunk, fine, come find me in the morning and I'll have a hangover potion ready for you, but don't expect me to stay. I'm not going to party with you, I'm not going to play the depressed drinking game and I'm sure as hell not going to wait for you in bed to fuck you."

"I'm not asking you to."

"I'm not saying that you are. I'm saying that last night I took myself out of a situation I was uncomfortable with and I will not hesitate to do so again," she explained. "I'm not putting limits on you, Sirius, I'm just saying that there are things I'm not willing to share in."

"Okaaay," he said slowly. Sirius really hadn't had enough coffee for this conversation and it was clear she wasn't willing to delve into the reasons she didn't like him getting drunk. "So... are you mad at me?"

"No. Are you still mad at me?"

"No."

"Okay, then."

"Okay."

Suddenly Jeannie stood and stretched. "I'm going for a shower," she said, kissing Sirius on the cheek as she passed him. He nodded his acknowledgement and reached for her paper. Jeannie was even better than him at the crossword and she'd clearly been hard at work on this one during their talk, but as he scanned the puzzle he frowned, now knowing without a shadow of a doubt that there was much more to the problem than she'd just told him.

Despite all her fidgeting, she hadn't filled in a single space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: When Max talks about the 'Bardulfrodel', that means 'bright wolf pack'. And we will visit Jeannie's issues soon but we have Slughorn's party to look forward to first ;)
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	51. A Very Sluggy Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter seems a bit disjointed. We're going from one POV to another, so I hope it's not too hard to follow. I wanted to give all the important people at least one scene.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Jeannie had, in fact, chosen not to wear a dress that showed her back. Instead, she wore a very classy set of silver dress robes with Oriental print. The silk brocade garment had been made for her by a Vietnamese woman in London and had been fitted perfectly. Oriental clothing worked well with Jeannie's slender frame and the robes complimented her form. She'd put her hair up in an elegant bun, secured with an Oriental comb and in her ears she wore a pair of silver teardrop earrings with small diamonds in the middle that Sirius handed her as she was getting dressed.

She'd smiled at the earrings when she opened the box, never having had a boyfriend give her jewelry before, then kissed him deeply as thanks. It was a little early for presents as Christmas was still several days away, but he'd given her hers, so she presented him with his: a brand new leather jacket. He already had one, of course, but it was the jacket he'd had before Azkaban and he almost never wore it because of the memories it dredged up. After their visit to Diagon Alley the previous summer, Sirius took it off and hung it up at the back of his closet. When Jeannie asked about it, he'd confessed that he could still smell Godric's Hollow in the leather, and he hadn't worn it since.

Sirius grinned at her when she handed him his new leather and immediately put it on, asking her if she thought Slughorn would mind if he wore it to the party. Jeannie laughed and shook her head, then bent down to pick up her heels, not noticing Sirius moving in behind her. He smacked her on the arse as she bent over and she yelped, straightening up and spinning around to smack him back but he moved out of reach, laughing, so she threw her shoe at him instead. He dodged it and darted back to her, grabbing her hands and pinning them to her sides, then leaned down and kissed her.

"Come on, we're going to be late," he said, releasing her and shedding the jacket. She put on her shoes as he grabbed the black robe he'd chosen to wear over black Muggle slacks, a white button-down and the red and gold waistcoat he'd worn for his trial, then they went downstairs and floo'd into Dumbledore's office.

The old wizard looked up as his floo connection roared to life and two people stepped out of his fireplace. "Good evening, Sirius, Jeannie," he greeted.

"Evening, Albus," they replied, brushing soot off their clothes.

"Is old Sluggy's office in the same place it used to be?" Sirius asked.

Dumbledore chuckled and his eyes twinkled. "Yes, Sirius. Professor Slughorn's office is exactly where it was when he taught here before."

"Are you coming along?" Jeannie queried.

"I'm afraid not, Jeannie. Horace invited me out of obligation and propriety, not because he particularly wants me there. Indeed, I do believe he would prefer that I not attend," Dumbledore explained. "Please give him my kind regards and ask that he not begrudge an old man like me my rest, as I'm sure the party will go on long after my bedtime."

"Will do," Jeannie chuckled. "Thanks for letting us use your fire."

"My pleasure. Do have a good time. I hope you enjoy this party better than the last."

"I plan to." She smiled at him and took Sirius' hand, leading them out of the Headmaster's office. "Where's Slughorn's office?" she asked Sirius.

"In the dungeons," he answered. "Probably the same place Snape's was. But we need to take a detour first," he said, giving her a sideways look.

Jeannie narrowed her eyes at him. "Detour? What sort of detour?"

He didn't answer, he just dragged her along, turning down one corridor and up the next until she'd lost herself completely and started resisting. Sirius ignored her protests and cheerfully led her deeper into the school until suddenly he ducked behind a tapestry and pulled her in behind him. It was pitch dark and slightly chilly, but Sirius lit his wand and Jeannie saw that they were, in fact, in what looked to be a disused broom closet. The tapestry seemed to have been hung to cover the doorway since there was no door and there was barely enough room for the two adults to fit. Jeannie looked up at Sirius, ready to ask what they were doing there, but his expression told her all she needed to know.

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later and fifteen minutes late for the party, Sirius and Jeannie emerged, straightening hair and clothes. He adjusted the comb in her hair as she finished doing up his belt buckle and they finally made their way to Slughorn's party. Jeannie had never met the Potions Master, having been taught by Snape during her school years, so Sirius filled her in on the portly professor. By the time they actually got to the party, the band was in full swing and the rest of the guests had arrived.

Slughorn spotted Sirius straight away and made a beeline for him, declaring loudly that he always knew Sirius was innocent and he'd just been saying to Minister Scrimgeour the other day what a good thing it was that justice had finally been served. Sirius humoured him, shaking his hand warmly and teasing him good-naturedly about being slightly more rotund than Sirius remembered. Slughorn took it in stride, patting his belly, as it gave him an excuse to drop a few more names of people who 'just keep sending me gifts - and it's not even my birthday!'.

Sirius then introduced Jeannie and, as predicted, Slughorn latched onto her like a fly caught in his web. He wanted to know all about her - where she was from, how she came to be with the circus, was it true she and Sirius were an 'item'? Having dealt with reporters and nosy fans since she was very young, Jeannie fielded his questions with ease. She was factual, but vague, letting him come to the conclusions he wanted because she knew that was the most pain-free way of handling it. If she made any kind of bold statement on any subject or if she seemed to confirm anything one way or the other, she knew it would be plastered across the next morning's Prophet, citing 'anonymous, reliable sources', of course.

Sirius watched this play with amusement. He knew firsthand how intelligent Jeannie was and it tickled him to see her match wits with Horace Slughorn, the man who had been known to wheedle information from high-ranking government officials, using his good-natured bluster as an endearing tongue-loosener to get the goods he wanted. It was not done with malice or bad intents, he was sure, but Slughorn liked knowing things others didn't and his ethics could be rather loose. He'd just heard Jeannie turn Slughorn's question back on himself for the fourth time when something caught his eye.

* * *

 

"I believe the lady said no."

Sirius had spotted Hermione's trademark hair from across the room and watched as the bushy curls bent back further and further as though trying to avoid someone leaning down to her. When a tall, good-looking but clearly too-cocky-for-his-own-good young man came into view, leaning into her as she bent back to get away, Sirius made his way across the room. Weaving in and out of dancers, house-elves and 'interesting' guests, he came up to the two just as Hermione was refusing him again.

"Sirius!" Hermione exclaimed, spinning around, relief written across her face.

He winked at her. "Dance with me?" She nodded. "Excuse us," he said to her date. The young man looked insulted and opened his mouth to say something, but Sirius grabbed Hermione and was already steering her towards the dance floor.

"That was rude, Sirius," she said, laughing. He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh, that wasn't a complaint, just an observation."

Sirius chuckled and shook his head. "So, who is he?" he asked, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"His name's Cormac, Cormac McLaggen. He's my _date_ ," she answered, saying 'date' as though it created a bad taste in her mouth.

"I don't like him."

Hermione snorted. "Neither do I, much."

"So, why'd you say yes to him?"

She shook her head. "I asked him," she admitted.

Sirius looked confused. "What about Ron?" he asked, remembering the conversations he'd had with Harry through the mirror. According to the Chosen One, there was a good chance either Ron or Hermione was going to spontaneously combust one of these days, but Hermione just frowned and looked away, sighing.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, stumbling a little and blushing. "I should have warned you, Sirius," she added, "I'm not really a great dancer."

"What?" Sirius gasped comically. "You mean I've found something Hermione Granger can't do?"

She grinned ruefully. "I can't fly, either."

"Can to. You fly Hippogriffs and Thestrals, don't you?"

Hermione laughed and buried her head in his chest briefly. "Thanks for rescuing me," she said.

"Hmm, my pleasure. I owe you a few rescues," he replied, expertly guiding her through the dancing couples. "He hadn't tried anything, had he?"

"No, but - " she bit her lip, "I'm good at dodging." She felt him stiffen slightly as his eyes sought out Cormac, the grey orbs hardening as he pinned the teenager with a hard glare. "Sirius, it's okay," she said. "It's not like he could do anything here anyway. It's way too public and I'm quite talented with a wand, you know. As long as I steer clear of the mistletoe..." she muttered, more to herself than him.

"That's not the point, Hermione."

"I know."

Sirius sighed. He knew Hermione too well to give her the 'talk' about how boys were pigs - she was seventeen, the chances were a smart girl like her would have figured it out for herself by now - but he didn't like the way McLaggen looked at her and since Sirius knew just how swine-like the male sex could be, he couldn't resist making just one demand.

"Just promise me one thing, okay?" She nodded. "If he does try anything, go straight for the balls," he insisted. She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "I mean it, kitten. If you don't remove them for him, _I'm_ going to. Do you really want _me_ taking care of that?"

Hermione, slightly red in the face, shut her mouth and shook her head. She knew, better than most, Sirius' capacity for grudge-holding and revenge-taking and even though she didn't like Cormac, she was unwilling to sic an angry Sirius Black on him.

"You look quite pretty, by the way," he said, casually changing the subject.

Hermione chuckled. "Thank you. You clean up well, yourself." She grinned at the smug look on his face that said 'I know'. "I'm wearing your bracelet, you know."

" _Your_ bracelet. And I hadn't noticed," Sirius said, looking at each wrist in confusion as there was nothing there.

"I glamoured it," she explained, shaking the hand that rested on his shoulder to let him know it was there. "I figured there would be a fair number of purebloods here tonight and I didn't know if this was a particularly recognizable piece of Black jewelry."

"Hmm. Good thinking," Sirius admitted. "Like I said on your birthday, gift-giving is often misunderstood in the pureblood world. I don't remember anybody ever wearing it, but that doesn't mean much. I'm glad you still like it," he smiled down at her.

The music stopped and they applauded the band and Sirius grabbed two glasses from a roving house-elf carrying a tray. Hermione frowned at the sight of the creature, but took the glass Sirius handed her and chose to not make a speech on creature's rights just then.

"Come on," Sirius said, draping an arm around her shoulders, "I see Harry. What's that blonde girl's name again?"

"Luna," Hermione answered, laughing quietly. "And don't be surprised if she calls you Mr. Boardman - her father ran an article once that claimed you were the lead singer for the Hobgoblins." Sirius stopped and gave her an incredulous look. "Don't look at me! I like Luna, but some of her ideas... " She shook her head.

"You know, that's actually funny," Sirius said and Hermione cocked an eyebrow. "Jeannie got me a new leather jacket for Christmas and I asked her if I should wear it tonight. She laughed at me, but now that Luna thinks I'm a rock star, I think maybe I should have worn it."

"Oh, Sirius, don't encourage her," Hermione groaned. "I'll end up spending the rest of the night listening to the mating habits of Blubbering Humdingers and how to hop on one foot properly to get rid of Nargles."

"What are Nargles?"

"That's an excellent question, Mr. Black," came a dreamy voice. Luna had found them. "Since they are invisible, nobody really knows what they look like."

"That's because they don't," Hermione muttered under her breath.

"I have many theories on the subject, though," Luna continued.

Sirius blinked at Luna, then shook himself slightly. "Good evening, Luna. How are you? Are you enjoying the party?"

She smiled vaguely. "Yes, thank you. Very much. It was so nice of Harry to ask me to come with him. Just as friends, of course. I'm not surprised you're asking about Nargles."

"No?"

Luna shook her head. "They love mistletoe, you know."

* * *

 

Jeannie finally broke away from Slughorn with the excuse that she saw someone she knew. It wasn't a lie. She had in fact spotted a familiar face. It had been almost exactly a year since she'd seen that particular shade of blonde and he'd grown a little taller since then, but there was no mistaking Draco Malfoy. Making her way towards him, he didn't see her coming, seemingly too preoccupied with looking for someone or something. He looked jumpy, almost as though he was expecting to be caught doing something at any second.

"Hello, Draco," she said, stifling a laugh as the young man spun around in alarm and stared at her as if he'd seen a ghost. "I didn't know you'd be here. Are you enjoying the party?"

He stared at her, his mouth working but no sound coming out. Clearly, he hadn't expected to see her, either. He looked ill, as though he hadn't been sleeping or eating and he was pale. He also wasn't dressed for a party, wearing only his uniform trousers and white button-down. Jeannie noticed, though, that although his shirt collar was undone, his sleeves were rolled down all the way and buttoned tightly. Perhaps Harry was right about Draco being Marked.

"Come dance with me, Draco," she said, taking a step forward as he took one back. "Old time's sake?"

Not giving him a chance to refuse, she took his clammy hands in hers and led him to the dance floor, guiding one hand to her waist and keeping the other in hers. She led, as it was obvious Draco was not going to be any help at all. The poor boy was so distracted, he was moving on autopilot, his eyes flickering around the room in near panic, but his inbred good manners wouldn't allow him to pull away from her.

"What's the matter, Draco?" she asked. "You were much more comfortable with me the last time we danced. Even got a bit touchy, if I remember correctly," she said, remembering their moment at Malfoy Manor when Draco deliberately ran his fingers over her skin. She'd smiled at him then, and he'd blushed, but then he'd relaxed when he realized she wasn't going to call him out on it. He blushed again now, but this time there was no relaxing. He grimaced.

"I know you're one of them," he said, trying to sound accusing but in reality his tone only betrayed his anxiety.

Jeannie smiled indulgently at him, reaching up to thread her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. Suddenly she fisted her hand and tugged, anchoring his head in place and stood taller, bringing her lips to his ear.

"And I know you're one of them," she hissed, holding him firm even as he tried to pull away. "I know you don't want this, Draco. I know you're heart's not in it. It's not too late to get out."

Draco squirmed. "Please let me go," he whispered and Jeannie immediately relaxed her grip. He pulled back a little, looking shocked that she'd actually released him.

"I can help you, Draco," she said and his eyes snapped to hers. His torment was clear. "I can get you out, get you safe."

"Bullshit," he spat. "You're a fool if you think that. Nobody can help me!"

"Why not?" she pressed, things starting to become clear to her. Harry had been complaining to Sirius about Draco all year and it seemed now at least one of his suspicions were on point. "What is he doing to you? Is he blackmailing you? Forcing you to do things under threat of punishment to someone you love? Who is it, Draco? Is it your mother?"

The teenager's blue eyes widened and his already pale skin took on an unhealthy pallor and Jeannie knew she'd hit a bullseye. So, Voldemort had Narcissa, possibly holding her captive, and using her to force Draco's hand to do things for him. But what? What could he want a teenage boy who is still in school to do for him? Was Draco recruiting? Was he behind the strange things happening this year? Was Harry right about him?

Out of the corner of her eye, Jeannie saw Filch approaching them and she had the feeling Draco had not been invited to this party. Thinking quickly, she steered them a little further into the crowd and started talking.

"Draco, I know this isn't what you want. You're not like him and I know you don't want to be like him. It's not too late. I can help. I can get you out of there and maybe get your mother out, too. We'd have to be very careful about it, but I know it can be done. It's not too late. You don't have to tell me what's going on, you don't have to tell me what you're supposed to be doing, but don't think you don't have options. You do. My offer stands. If you're as smart as I think you are, you'll know how to contact me. It's not too late."

She felt Draco's breathing quicken and she tightened her hold on him as he tried desperately to get away from her. Just as she finished talking, Filch found them again and she again relaxed her grip in time to give Draco a meaningful look and move her eyes to the caretaker. Draco followed her gaze and jumped in alarm, making Filch grin wickedly.

"Mr. Malfoy," he said, sneering at the boy. "Might I see your invitation?"

* * *

 

"What's Malfoy doing here?" Harry said suddenly, interrupting Sirius mid-sentence. The blond teenager was being man-handled by the caretaker, who looked like Mrs. Norris when she'd caught a wayward mouse.

"Malfoy? Lucius' kid?" Sirius clarified, watching the scene and spotting Jeannie out of the corner of his eye. She had her gaze locked on the young Malfoy as well.

"Yeah. Draco," Harry answered as Snape came into view, taking the offender from Filch and wiping the sneer off his face in the process. Sirius and Harry watched as Slughorn made the case that it was Christmas and crashing a party was hardly a capital offense, but Snape was having none of it. The potions master took Draco by the arm, leaving no room for argument, and left, presumably to dole out punishment as he saw fit.

After a heartbeat's hesitation, Harry ducked behind Sirius and pulled out the Cloak. "I'm going to see what they're up to," he said.

Sirius instinctively made himself as big as possible to give Harry a chance to put the Cloak on, unseen, and kept an eye on Malfoy and Snape. "They turned left," he instructed out of the corner of his mouth. "Be careful."

"I will," came the invisible reply from right in front of him. "I'll come back here before heading back to the Tower."

"Have you got the Map on you?" Sirius asked, moving his lips as little as possible in a well-practiced way and keeping his eyes off the spot he knew Harry was.

"Of course. I'll be back."

Harry was gone no more than fifteen minutes when Sirius felt a discreet tug on the back of his robes. He made his excuses to the guests he was mingling with and walked over to a quiet corner where he once again shielded Harry from view while the teenager divested himself of the Cloak. Harry looked slightly confused and worried as he relayed what he'd seen and heard of Snape and Malfoy's conversation and Sirius' interest was piqued when Harry told him that Snape mentioned taking the Unbreakable Vow. Sirius asked Harry if he was sure that was what he'd heard and Harry confirmed it.

By now, though, the crowd was thinning and it was clear the evening was coming to a close. Sirius promised Harry they would talk about this more when the kids traveled to the Burrow for Christmas and Harry agreed, having had enough for the night. Sirius found Jeannie and they said goodnight to Slughorn, then escorted Harry, Hermione and Luna back to their respective dorms.

After saying goodnight to the kids, Sirius took Jeannie on a guided tour of the castle as neither was really ready to leave yet. They wandered through the halls of the school leisurely, holding hands and pointing out minor points of interest to each other. Sirius showed her the unused classroom he and James had hidden in numerous times to escape Filch after a prank and Jeannie took him 'round to the broom closet Flitwick had caught her and Tonks snogging in.

They finally found themselves outside Dumbledore's office and Sirius gave the password. The gargoyle let them in and they found the office deserted, but a note left floating in mid-air told them that Albus had gone to bed and please feel free to floo home through the Headmaster's fireplace. There was a bowl of lemon drops on the desk left out just in case and Sirius took one, just because. Jeannie took a pinch of silvery powder and stepped into the fire and Sirius followed, disappearing in a rush of green flame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just couldn't resist Sirius taking Jeannie in a broom closet. How Marauder ;) !
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	52. Presents And Presence

"Come on, Tonks - just for a few minutes."

"No."

"Molly wants to see you."

"No."

"The twins will be there. They always make you laugh."

"No."

Jeannie sighed and hung her head. They'd been at this for the better part of twenty minutes now and no matter how enticing Jeannie made Christmas at the Burrow sound, Tonks would not bite. She knew Remus would be there and that was the end of it. It had been all Jeannie could do to drag her to her own parents' house earlier for Andromeda's lunch. Since her daughter had been working so many nights, Andy had cooked a Christmas lunch instead of supper. Tonks, Jeannie and Sirius had gone to visit, but nothing had been enough to bring the pink hair out.

"So... you're not coming." It was more of a statement than a question.

"No." Jeannie nodded and started for the door. "Jeannie?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Molly thanks, anyway?"

Jeannie stopped in the doorway and turned back to Tonks. "Sure. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Jeannie sighed again and stepped out into the cold London December. It was becoming physically painful for her to interact with her best friend and it felt wrong to leave her sitting by the window in her flat, staring into nothingness while she isolated herself from everyone and everything. Remus Lupin had broken her and the worst part of it was, he didn't even know he'd done it because he didn't believe himself capable of it. Tightening her coat around her, Jeannie turned sharply and disapparated with a _crack!_

* * *

 

Tonks rested her forehead against the cold glass of her window and watched her breath leave a mist on the smooth surface. In all honesty, tea and sympathy with Molly followed by one of her fantastic holiday feasts sounded like heaven, but there was no way she was going to face Remus. Not after the things he'd said... She thought back to the argument Jeannie and Sirius had walked in on when they got back from Slughorn's party.

_"I don't care, Remus! I don't care that you're a werewolf! I don't care that you don't have a job! I don't care that you're thirteen years older than me! What is thirteen years? You're the same age as Sirius and he doesn't have a problem seeing Jeannie!"_

_"Sirius doesn't turn into a bloodthirsty monster once a month! Sirius can provide for Jeannie! Sirius doesn't have to worry about new regulations from the Ministry that make it illegal to exist!"_

_"Oh, for fuck's sake, Remus! I'm not asking for a ring! I'm not asking for you to parade through the Atrium waving a banner that says we're together! All I want is you! For however long we have!"_

_"Well, that's a mature response! No thought for your safety, no thought for your future! Why am I the only one who cares about you?"_

_"You don't care about shit, Remus Lupin! If you cared about me, you'd realize how fucked up this all is!"_

_"Trust me, Nymphadora - I know exactly how fucked up this situation is. And how much more fucked up it would be if I allowed what you want to happen. I'm trying to do what's best for you."_

_"Right, because being apart from you is clearly making my life better. Thanks so much... dad."_

Right then, the floo activated and Jeannie and Sirius stepped into the kitchen. Tonks was sure they both looked a sight - Remus flushed and angry, herself almost in battle stance, standing across the table and glaring at each other. She hadn't know it at the time, but her hair had turned the colour of fiery embers, sparking at the ends in her fury.

_"Perhaps your father is what you need. A parent to remind you of your sense of survival. You're far too willing to throw yourself into the lion's den."_

The fight had left her then. Her eyes snapped back to him as it hit her that he'd all but called her a child and she visibly deflated. Her hands unclenched from the fists that had been at her sides and tears pricked in her eyes. As she leaned over to grab her cloak from the back of a chair, a lock of hair fell in her face. Brown, limp, mousy. Her shoulders sagged and she'd walked out without a word, apparating straight back to her flat where she'd crawled into bed and cried herself to sleep for the umpteenth time that year. She couldn't even remember how the argument had started, she'd just shown up to headquarters to report...

Tonks had been living on auto-pilot ever since. She woke up to her wand alarm, made herself a cup of coffee, put on her Auror robes, reported to work, made her rounds, did her job, went back home, made herself a sandwich for supper, took off her Auror robes and went to bed. The same way, every day. The only variation in the routine was when she sat by her window, watching the life outside. A small part of her brain wondered how long it would take her to heal from her broken heart, but a larger part really couldn't have cared less at that point. So she sat at her window, face pressed against the pane, and watched.

* * *

 

"You do realize that it was uncalled for," Sirius said, standing in the doorway of Remus' bedroom. It was Christmas day and Jeannie had already left for the Burrow, stopping to pick up Max on her way. Sirius, though, had stayed behind to have a word with his best friend. The same best friend who had been avoiding the entire world for days now, ever since Sirius and Jeannie had walked in on his argument with Tonks.

Remus took a deep breath and his hands faltered as he buttoned his shirt. He was still tired after the previous night's transformation. "Yes, I do. The next time I see her, I'll apologize. Happy?" He was getting tired of the glares Jeannie was sending his way and the veiled comments Sirius kept throwing out. Tonks had caught him at a bad moment a few days before and, being so close to the full moon, he'd lashed out at her and he knew he'd hurt her. He didn't need Sirius to tell him this.

"No," Sirius answered honestly. "But it's a start." When Remus didn't react, he continued. "You're fighting the inevitable, Remus. You've already admitted to me that you're in love with her and I know by the way she looks at you that she feels the same. It's only a matter of time before things come to a head and you have to go to her. You won't have a choice."

"It's not my choices I'm protecting," Remus said. "Once anybody finds out about her and I, she will have _no_ choices. About anything. It'll be worse for her than it is for me. I don't want to taint her, Sirius," he ended in a whisper.

"I know, mate. But it's not just your call now," Sirius whispered back. "See you at the Burrow."

With that, Sirius turned and headed downstairs to his fireplace, following Jeannie to the Burrow. Remus came through minutes later and after saying hello to Molly and collecting mugs of eggnog (properly spiked by Fred and George), they went into the sitting room where Arthur was peeling a satsuma and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were talking about the school year.

"You don't know that he's Marked, Harry!" Hermione was insisting.

"Who do you think has been Marked?" Remus asked.

"Draco Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed. "He keeps sneaking off and he looks ill. He's been jumpy and nervous all year... he's up to something!"

"Just because he's up to something doesn't mean he's working for him, Harry!" Hermione countered.

"Aw, come on, Hermione," Ron interjected. "This is Malfoy we're talking about. The same arse- "

"Language, Ronald!"

" -who's called you filthy names since he met you, hexes us any chance he gets just for fun and flaunts his father's name and money around to anyone who'll listen!"

"I know that, but - "

"I think Harry's right," Jeannie stated calmly, effectively shutting up the bickering.

"Thank you!" said Harry.

"We don't _know_ anything, Jeannie," Hermione said.

" _Do_ you know anything?" Sirius asked her.

Jeannie shrugged. "He as good as admitted it to me at Slughorn's party."

" _What?!_ " Remus asked, incredulous. "He admitted to you that he's taken the Dark Mark?"

"I said 'he as good as admitted it'. I told him I knew he was one of them and he didn't deny it. I also told him I would help him if he wanted out," she said.

"You did _what?!_ " Harry and Ron both shouted.

"Boys, that's enough," Arthur said, entering the fray. "He may be a Malfoy, but he's still a teenage boy just like you two. Now, unless Jeannie saw his Mark or he told her he was a Death Eater - " he looked at Jeannie and she shook her head, " - we still have no hard evidence. Innocent until proven guilty, boys. That's the way _our_ side works. It's also why you're not in the Order."

They went to say something but Jeannie got there first. "Look, you two have a bad history with him. I have no doubt that to you he's an arrogant little shit with a superiority complex, but I've seen him in his... natural environment. Did you know he was there when I got hurt last Christmas?" Their eyes widened. "Mm-hmm. And did you know that he was the one who let Severus know what was happening? Did you know that he had to be forced to even dance with me because he was so nervous about everything?"

"But - " Harry started.

"No. No 'buts'. He's a terrified kid and I think it's not too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that Voldemort is using his mother as leverage against him," Jeannie said, not going so far as to confirm anything, but wanting to put the idea in their heads that things were bigger than they realized.

Beside her, Sirius shook his head sadly. "Poor Cissy. I was... I don't know, fourteen or fifteen when she married Lucius. I think she really was in love with him, but I never saw the same devotion from him."

"So... was she more like Andromeda than Bellatrix?" Harry asked cautiously, surprised Sirius was volunteering information on his family.

"No. Definitely not. But she wasn't really like either of them," Sirius explained. "Cissy was always the most 'rule-abiding' of the three. Bella was a crazy bitch, Andy was like me - never buying into the pureblood bullshit, but Cissy was always worried about being the 'good' daughter. The perfect pureblood princess. So she found a pureblood prince and married him."

"Do you think she really believes any of the Death Eater teachings?" Remus asked.

Sirius shook his head. "Nah. She likes to think she's better than everyone else and she can be incredibly snotty, but... she was never strong like Andy. Cissy would never have been able to walk away from everything and wear a target on her back like Andy did when she married Ted. I can't imagine she'll be holding up very well if Voldemort is putting the pressure on her. Especially since I'm sure Bella is staying close by to remind her of her _duties_."

"So it's a bad situation all the way around?" Arthur concluded and Sirius nodded. "Well, I think I'll see if Molly needs any help," he said, standing and stretching before walking out of the room. All was quiet for a minute before Harry spoke up.

"Does the 'half-blood prince' mean anything to anybody?" he asked the room at large.

Remus chuckled. "'Half-blood prince'? Is this a new nickname you're thinking about giving yourself? I would have thought the 'Chosen One' would have been enough."

"It's not me!" Harry returned, sending Remus a glare. "My Potions textbook used to belong to the 'half-blood prince'. I just wanted to know if you knew who it was."

"Do you have the book?" Sirius asked. "Maybe we could recognize the handwriting."

Harry shook his head. "No, I left it at school. I've already done my Potions homework." Beside him Hermione gasped comically and he scowled at her. "Hey, why would someone's Patronus change?"

"I didn't know Patronus' could change," Sirius said. "Professor?" He tossed the question to Remus.

"Who's Patronus has changed?" Remus asked.

"Tonks'," Harry answered, missing the stricken look on his former professor's face. "Snape said so, anyway," he shrugged. "It was big and had four legs... "

"Um... ah... well," Remus stuttered. "Sometimes a great change... an emotional upheaval... "

" _'Emotional upheaval'_?" the girls mouthed at Jeannie and she shook her head, telling them to stay quiet.

"Okay, everybody!" Molly called. "Come and get it!"

Remus bolted out of his chair, clearly relieved, followed closely by the kids and Sirius and Jeannie. Max, Sirius, Jeannie, Remus and Harry settled in along with the many red-headed children around the much-loved and well-used Weasley kitchen table. Molly levitated several dishes to the table and directed the plates and silverware to place themselves in front of each person.

"Is Tonks not coming, then, Jeannie?" Molly asked.

"No, I couldn't convince her," Jeannie answered.

"Such a shame. She's been so down lately," Molly continued, sending a few not-so-subtle looks Remus' way.

"Surely Tonks has her own family to visit, Molly," Remus said quietly but pointedly.

"Hmm. I got the feeling she was planning on spending Christmas alone," Molly countered, then turned back to her food.

"Dad," said a twin, getting his father's attention. "Is that who I think it is?" he asked, nodding to the window where an older man was striding towards the house, followed by a red-headed youth with horn-rimmed gasses.

"Oh!" Molly cried. "Percy!" She flew out of her chair just as Percy and the Minister made it to the back door. Flinging it open, she threw her arms around her son and dragged him inside, crying into his robes. "Oh, Percy!"

"Merry Christmas, Mother," Percy answered stiffly, being careful to not make eye contact with anyone in the kitchen, even his father, who had stood as Percy entered and was staring at him, an indecipherable look on his face.

Minister Scrimgeour smiled indulgently and dishonestly. "Ah, nothing like a family reunion at a time like Christmas," he said.

"Oh! Minister!" Molly exclaimed, completely flustered. "Please do come in! There's plenty to eat! Stay a while?"

"Oh, no, my dear Molly. I couldn't," Scrimgeour said. "I simply wanted to give Percy a chance to say hello. I don't want to be in the way at all. Why don't I take a turn around the garden? Would anyone be so kind as to show me around? Ah - perhaps that young man there," he said, looking at Harry.

The air in the room shifted. Nobody was stupid enough to believe that Scrimgeour didn't know Harry's name or that Percy had come of his own free will or that Scrimgeour was surprised to find Harry here. What had started as a slightly suspicious 'family reunion' had suddenly become a carefully crafted ruse to allow Scrimgeour a chance to talk to Harry without Dumbledore around.

Harry look at Sirius and Sirius cocked an eyebrow, clearly telling his godson that he didn't have to do anything and Harry would have his own personal attack mutt instantly at his side should the need arise. Harry sent him a half-smile and stood up. Minister Scrimgeour beamed and opened the door, allowing Harry to pass through first. The two stepped out into the winter and Sirius was on his feet, crossing the room and standing at the window keeping watch.

Molly fussed over Percy, despite the young man's clear discomfort, and it didn't take long for the visit to turn sour. An back-handed comment from a twin, followed by a snippy retort from Percy and the rivalry was off to the races. Soon several Weasleys were on their feet, taking offensive stances, an a well-placed spoonful of mashed parsnips landing on Percy's glasses (that Fred, George and Ginny all took credit for) effectively ended the holiday cheer.

Sirius was only half paying attention, though, because Harry and Scrimgeour were making their way back to the house. He growled loudly, getting everyone's attention and shutting them up just as the Minister and the Boy-Who-Lived stepped through the door. Scrimgeour looked disappointed but was clearly trying to hide it, while Harry looked pissed off and clearly didn't care who noticed. Sirius, picking up on Harry's mood, was the first to speak.

"What's this wanker want, son?"

"He wants me to tell the world what a good job he's doing of keeping them safe from Voldemort," Harry answered, ignoring the flinches that followed the name.

"I do hope you told him to fuck off." Molly's eyes widened at his rudeness.

"Sirius Black!" Scrimgeour exclaimed, false cheer in his voice. "I had no idea you would be here! I do hope you're enjoying your holiday. How would you feel about doing a bit of publicity on the Ministry's behalf? Show solidarity with the government that cleared your name?" he asked, seemingly oblivious to Sirius' hard glare.

"Why don't you suck my d- "

"Sirius!" Molly hissed.

"This is the Minister of Magic you're talking to, Mr. Black!" Percy said, highly affronted that anyone dared speak to Scrimgeour that way. "Do try to remain civil!"

"I'll talk to him any way I damn well please, Percy," Sirius responded coldly. "I think I've earned that right."

Percy opened his mouth but Scrimgeour put a hand up to stop him. "Thank you, Weasley, but Mr. Black is quite right," he said, his words friendly but his tone betraying his annoyance. "Am I to assume you feel the same way as your godson?" he asked Sirius. The raven-haired animagus didn't answer with words, he simply cocked an aristocratic eyebrow at the Minister. "Pity," Scrimgeour commented matter-of-factly. "Ah, well - I believe we've intruded on your hospitality enough for today, Mrs. Weasley. If you're ready, Percy," he said, turning away from the Burrow and striding towards the apparition point.

Percy flew out of the house as though the hounds of hell were on his tail and he ignored one last cry from his mother. Arthur, who had remained standing for the entire exchange but had refrained from joining in, went to his wife and put his arms around her. Molly sobbed for a few minutes into her husband's robes before collecting herself and announcing that they would carry on with supper just as they had done last Christmas, which had also been Percy-less.

Sirius put his arm around Harry and quietly asked him if he was alright. When the boy nodded, he steered him back to his seat and after a few minutes everyone got back to their supper. It was Christmas, they were all alive and safe and mostly together and they were going to make the best of it. Everyone made sure to compliment Molly's cooking and the twins passed out crackers for everyone. Sirius' exploded to reveal an enormous cowboy hat, which he immediately put on, of course, causing Jeannie to spend the next several minutes trying to get her laughter under control. He pretended to be offended, but when she leaned over to whisper in his ear, his scowl was replaced with a lascivious grin.

"You are going to wear that later, aren't you?" she whispered, her breath hot in his ear and her fingers trailing high up his thigh. Sirius growled and lunged for her, latching his lips to her neck and sucking hard until Molly threw a shocking hex at him with a horrified screech.

_"Sirius Black!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We delve a little (a lot) into Jeannie's past in the next chapter! I've had that one written for weeks now and I'm really excited to get it out, but I want to clean it up some before posting. As soon as I'm happy with it, I'll put it up. I solemnly swear ;)
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	53. Jeannie's Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who read the companion one-shot to this, 'Take It Where It Strikes' (which can no longer be found on FFnet but is posted on AO3 under the same pen name), this chapter delves into Jeannie's past that's referenced there. There is a reason she never talked to Tonks and Charlie about her sexual past and here we find out why. Also revisiting the issue with Sirius getting drunk.
> 
> Non-graphic description of rape in this chapter - you've been warned.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1

The patrons of the Café Caffeine shivered as the door to their coffee shop opened and closed quickly, allowing a single person in along with a gust of frigid air. It was a bitterly cold day in the beginning of January and the occupants of the shop turned to glare at the man who had disturbed their shelter, if only briefly. He was tall, around six feet, and had dark, wavy hair and an olive complexion. His build was average, he looked to be in his early thirties and the blue and white scarf he was wearing identified him as Greek. Dressed in an expensive coat, pressed trousers and freshly-shined shoes, he gave the impression of money and power.

The man looked around and, seeing stares almost as cold as the weather directed at him, gave his most charming smile and stepped up to the counter to place his order. The barista blushed a bit at the handsome man as he ordered a specialty blend of coffee and a blueberry scone. She set to work as he drummed his fingers quietly on the counter and let his eyes wander about the shop. He winked at her when she handed him his to-go bag and headed back out into the cold. He didn't notice the large blonde sitting in the corner booth.

* * *

 

Max Kruger watched the man from his booth in the far corner of the coffee shop. He'd looked up when the door opened and couldn't help but think that he knew this man, thought he didn't immediately place him and the smells of the shop masked the man's scent. When the man spoke, however, it came back to him.

_Andreas Papadakis._

He may have not recognized the man right off (after all, it had been nearly ten years and innumerable cities since he'd seen him last) but he was a man Max would never forget. Andreas Papadakis was a talent scout, basically. He worked for a London-based talent recruiter and traveled the world looking for the 'new' and the 'unique'. Max had met him in the summer of 1988 and had sworn that he would kill the man if he could ever figure out how to do it without Jeannie finding out.

Max watched Papadakis exit the coffee shop and decided to follow him. He wasn't really in the mood for murder that day, but it had been a while since he'd treated himself to watching the abject fear seep into the man's face as he stared down at him and growled, reminding him of exactly who and what he was. Papadakis was a Muggle, but he'd spent enough time sniffing out circus talent to be aware of the magical world and of the creatures that Muggles believed only existed in fairly tales.

After leaving the lovely warmth of the coffee shop, Max looked up and down the street, discreetly sniffing the air to locate his quarry. He caught a whiff of expensive, foreign cologne heading north, so he started that way. It wasn't long before Max caught up with Papadakis and started following him closely. When the two men approached a fairly empty alley, Max linked arms with him as if they were friends and steered him into it.

"What the - ?" Andreas stuttered, his head whipping around and his eyes widening with recognition. "Max Kruger," he breathed, watching the blonde warily.

Max smiled at obviously ruining the man's morning and possibly his whole day. "Andreas Papadakis. Long time, no see."

"Not long enough," the Greek muttered under his breath, silently cursing when he saw Max's smile widen. _Damn werewolf hearing._ That hearing had been his downfall before.

"Don't look so worried, Andreas," Max said cheerfully. "I'm not going to kill you. Today," he added.

"Well, then, what do you want?" Papadakis asked, not really in the mood to chit-chat with a man he knew from experience was willing and able to do severe damage to him. He also knew that the longer they stood there, the more opportunity he had for his mouth to get him into trouble. While not much could intimidate him, any man would be a fool to tempt an angry werewolf - at any time of the month. Especially the hulking Max Kruger.

Max thought about it for a moment. What did he want, exactly? He'd already ruined the man's day... perhaps he could ruin his week! Yes, that sounded good. Smiling again at the rather helpless Greek, Max reared back and swung his heavy fist, catching Papadakis square in the face. He felt the nose shatter under his hand and he couldn't deny that it felt good.

Papadakis cried out in pain and slumped to the ground, bleeding profusely. His fresh cup of coffee and blueberry scone fell from his hands as he cupped his wounded face. Max nodded to himself at a job well done, then inspected his knuckles. There would probably be a bit of swelling later. Perhaps he could slip into Grimmauld and get Sirius to heal it for him as a favor. He looked again at Papadakis, who was still huddled in the alley, and waved goodbye, then turned the corner back into the street and disappeared.

* * *

 

"So, who'd you hit?" Sirius asked, waving his wand over Max's knuckles. The skin sealed itself and the bruising faded away.

"Someone I mean to kill one of these days," Max answered, fairly certain Sirius didn't know about Papadakis.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Why was today not the right day?" He knew Max well enough to know that he meant what he said and whatever this guy did had crossed a major line. Given Sirius' own feelings about Peter, he could understand the desire for personal justice.

"I'm not in the mood to answer to Jeannie today," Max said, smirking a little.

Sirius chuckled. "Even the big, bad wolf doesn't want to piss her off, huh?"

"Something like that," Max agreed. "Thanks," he said, flexing his hand.

"No problem."

Max took a deep breath. "Sirius, you and Jeannie have been together longer than she's been with anyone. Much longer. There's... something happened... " he stopped, not really sure how to have this conversation, especially since he'd probably get yelled at later. "Something happened to Jeannie a long time ago. It was very traumatic for her and she doesn't like to talk about it. I'm pretty sure she hasn't told you yet, but if you're serious about her - serious about being with her for a while - then it's something I think you'd want to know."

Sirius frowned. "Has she asked you not to tell me this?"

"No." Max shook his head. "In fact, she's never asked me to keep it a secret, but it is something that is deeply personal and it's not my story to tell."

"So, why are you telling me this?"

"She told me about leaving that night when you were drunk. I think you deserve to know why," Max said. He'd been watching his sister and the handsome wizard the entire holiday and he was positive they were in love with each other. He was just as positive that neither had admitted it. At least not out loud. If they were trying to have an actual relationship, then there were things Jeannie needed to tell Sirius. Max suspected Sirius had some things he needed to tell Jeannie as well, but as he didn't know what they were, he couldn't tell Jeannie to ask about them.

"Okay, let me get this straight," Sirius began. "Jeannie has something you think she needs to tell me, but you won't tell me what it is - you're just telling me to ask her about it. What do I say - _'Hey, baby, your brother told me to ask about some horrible thing that happened to you. Any idea what that could be?'_ "

Max snorted. "Close," he said sarcastically. "Ask her about Andreas Papadakis."

"Andreas Papadakis?"

"Yes."

"Who's he?"

"I can't tell you."

"What did he do?"

"Not for me to say."

"Dammit, Max!"

Max laughed. "I'm sorry, Sirius. Really. But she's already going to be mad at me for telling you this much and I really think it would be better coming from her."

Sirius exhaled heavily. "Fine. But if she gets mad at me, I'm telling her _you_ told me to do it!"

"Don't worry, she'll know it was me."

* * *

 

"Jeannie?"

"Hmm?" she replied, not looking up from chopping her onion for supper. They were eating at her place and she'd had a craving for tacos.

"Can I ask you about something?"

"Sure. What's up?"

Sirius hesitated. This had been weighing on his mind since his conversation with Max earlier and he wasn't at all sure he wanted to know what her big secret was. "Andreas Papadakis," he said quietly.

Jeannie didn't say anything, but she did stop chopping. Her fingers tightened on the knife and a flash of panic went through her. "Max told you."

It wasn't a question, but Sirius answered anyway. "Yes. He wouldn't tell me anything more, he just said to ask you about this Andreas bloke."

Jeannie was silent so long he wondered if she was going to say anything at all. Finally, she put down her knife, abandoned her onion and cast a stasis charm on the taco meat that was cooking on the stove. Pulling out a chair, she turned it to face Sirius and sat down. "What did Max say?" she asked.

"Not much." Sirius was starting to worry about this. "He said... he said we'd been together... for a while now," he edited Max's words carefully, "and he thought there was something I should know. I asked him why he wouldn't tell me and he said it would be better coming from you."

Jeannie nodded but wouldn't look at him.

Sirius leaned forward and placed a hand on her knee, feeling horrible. "Baby, I'm sorry," he said. "You're clearly uncomfortable with this. You don't have to tell me. It doesn't matter. Whatever happened is in the past and it - "

"I'll tell you."

"You don't have to," Sirius said gently.

"I know... but I trust Max and I know he wouldn't have brought it up if he didn't think it was important." She took a deep breath and resolved to pay her dear brother a visit after supper. _Fucking meddler._ "It's not pretty, Sirius," she warned, finally looking at him.

He nodded. "Alright."

She took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking. "You know that I grew up in the circus with Max." Sirius nodded. "And you know that he taught me to be a flier - an acrobat." Another nod. "Well, when I was fourteen, a talent scout came to the circus. It happened from time to time. There are so many different acts in the circus and so many talented people that when a 'special skill' is needed, the circus is the logical place to go."

"I was a very good flier. My size and flexibility were ideal and I had a natural strength that not all fliers have. The talent scout noticed this. He watched me work and one day he came over and introduced himself. He said his name was Andreas Papadakis and he worked for a head-hunting firm in London. They were interested in acrobats and trapeze artists and he said I'd be a shoe-in. We talked for a long time that afternoon and he invited me to his caravan that evening for supper."

"I was too young at the time to know what that meant and since he was treating me like an adult, I thought I was one. I didn't tell anyone about it and I saw no need to take my wand with me. I showed up at his caravan at the time he gave me and he let me in. There was no food on the table. I asked him about it and he said he was having some delivered. Said he was a terrible cook and he wanted to feed me something worth eating. I thought _'wow, what a gentleman'_. He did, however, have a bottle of wine there. He poured two glasses and handed me one. It wasn't the first time I'd had wine, but it was the first time I'd had my own glass."

Sirius started to get a sinking feeling about where this was going and the amount of time Jeannie was taking just working on her breathing while telling him this was not helping.

"We sat down on the couch. I drank too much. Not hard to do on a fourteen-year-old empty stomach and I probably hadn't polished off more than half the glass, but I was nicely buzzed. I lost track of the time and I didn't even notice that the food never came. We talked and talked. He told me how good I was, how I would just get better as I got older, how he could make it all happen for me... Then he started touching me."

"It was fairly innocent at first. He'd pat my knee while laughing at some inane comment I made or touch my arm while making his point. It didn't take long to get inappropriate but, at fourteen, I didn't know where the line was. I knew I was uncomfortable, but who was I to tell him to stop? Here was this older, sophisticated, well-traveled adult - surely he knew better than me what was inappropriate?"

"I'd worn a skirt that night. Nothing special, just a long, hippie skirt. He slid his hand under it and rested it on my thigh. I thought about moving or telling him I wasn't okay with that, but he stopped. He just let it sit there while he talked. He was good. I didn't even realize how close he'd gotten until he was nearly hovering over me. I was a little dizzy and I put my hand on his chest to push him away, but he kissed me. Hard. I tried to scream, but he shoved his tongue in my mouth. I thought I was going to choke. He took the wine glass out of my hand and tossed it somewhere, then pinned me down on the couch, grabbing my wrists and holding them above my head."

"I tried to kick at him, but he was too quick for me. It's amazing what a little wine can do to a fourteen-year-old's reflexes," she snorted humourlessly. "I kept trying to scream and fight, but he kept kissing me so I couldn't make much noise and the more I fought, the harder he pinned me down. Somehow he got in between my legs and he ripped my panties off me - ,"she stopped and looked down at the floor.

"It hurt. A lot. Once he was... he stopped kissing me and groaned and I took my chance. I got one good scream in before he slapped me and knocked me senseless. I was dizzy and drunk and in pain and crying. He didn't care. He just put one hand over my mouth while the other held my wrists and kept going."

Sirius sat stock still as he processed this. He was glad she was willing to open up to him, but he'd had no idea she was a rape victim and he hated seeing her relive the pain. It did explain some of her tattoos, though. Particularly the one over her heart that said _'Handle With Care'_. It also explained why he never saw her drink much. A glass of wine with supper or a small firewhiskey, but he'd never seen her drunk. Once burned, twice shy. He now also knew the reason she'd had such a problem with him last time he'd gotten drunk. _'I'm not going to deal with drunk,'_ she'd said. _'I can't and I won't.'_

"Then Max showed up. Out of the blue. He told me later that he'd been taking a walk around the camp and had heard me scream. He'd followed the sound until he caught my scent near the caravan and that was how he found me. Max kicked open the door and pulled him off me. He threw him across the caravan and started beating him. I've never seen Max that out of control before or since. I honestly think he would have killed him if I hadn't been there, hurt and scared."

"Max gave him a few punches and a couple of kicks and then turned back to me. He wrapped what was left of my clothing around me and picked me up. He carried me to his caravan and I spent the next few nights there. It took three days before I'd talk about it. It took nearly two weeks for the bruises to go away. Max took care of me the whole time. He didn't train, he didn't perform. He asked one of the women to go to the grocery store for him and pick up some food so he wouldn't have to leave me. When we did go back to work, we were inseparable. I couldn't be away from him for more than a few minutes and if I didn't check in with him for a while he'd come looking for me."

"It was a really hard time for me, especially since I was due to start Hogwarts just a few weeks later. I'd gotten my acceptance letter just before I'd finished my fourth year in California and, even though my birthday wasn't until November, Dumbledore let me start fifth year at Hogwarts because my grades were so good. He wrote that he felt there was no reason I couldn't keep up with the course work."

"So, on September first, Max took me to King's Cross and walked through the barrier with me. Even though he was born a Muggle, the wall recognizes the magical creature in him. He put my trunk on the train for me and stayed until we pulled out of the station. Then I met Tonks and Charlie... and the rest is history," she finished, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

Sirius reached out to gather her into his arms, but she leapt out of her chair, knocking it over in the process, and flew back to the counter, holding her hands out in front of her. He frowned.

"No!" she said forcefully, her eyes hard and cold. "Don't comfort me. I don't need it. It's in the past and I want it to stay there. Don't treat me like a piece of fine china. I am _not_ a victim - I'm a _survivor_ and I demand to be treated like one!" Sirius stared at her. "I've never demanded anything from you, Sirius, but I demand this. Don't treat me like a victim."

"Okay, baby," Sirius said calmly, trying his best to read the situation correctly and knowing Jeannie had a difficult time with vulnerability. One thing was for sure, though - if he ever found out what this Papadakis looked like, he'd hunt him down and kill him himself. He stood and picked up her overturned chair, righting it, then approached her again. "Do you still feel like cooking? I can go out and get something. Or do you suddenly feel the need to hack away at things with a knife?" he smirked and gestured to her half-chopped onion still sitting on her cutting board.

Her posture relaxed and her eyes softened at his teasing tone. "No, I still want tacos. _My_ tacos," she added. "He does _not_ get to put me off my food," she joked.

"That's my girl," Sirius said, kissing her forehead.

Sirius put some music on for them as a distraction and they went back to their evening. Nothing more was said about Andreas Papadakis and Sirius did his best to not dwell on what she'd told him. Dwelling on it would only make him angrier. Like she'd said, it was in the past, and if she was content to leave it there, then he needed to be as well. Max's words kept haunting him, though.

_'You and Jeannie have been together longer than she's been with anyone. Much longer.'_

Those words had struck him at the time and they made more sense now. He and Jeannie had never really discussed their previous lives; the war heating up and their current lives giving them plenty of talking material. Now he realized just how much time had passed with Jeannie and just how much he didn't know about her and he knew he needed to fix that. This was the woman he loved - not some floozy to spend a few weeks with until she got too annoying - shouldn't he know everything there was to know about her? He certainly wanted to.

Sirius remembered the first day she brought him to her place. He'd been so down after receiving his scolding from Molly for seeing Harry off to Hogwarts as Padfoot and Jeannie had been just what he needed. She hadn't given him time to dwell on his situation, rather she put him in a new situation that was completely different and even though he'd had to go back eventually, that afternoon was the best he'd had in a very long time. And he'd thought then that he wanted to get to know her better. Now they were together and it seemed he'd only just scratched the surface.

He looked down at the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms and smiled. He'd been able to convince her not to go over to Max's flat and yell at him that night and they'd simply cuddled on the sofa until she fell asleep against him. Then he'd carried her to bed and climbed in beside her. It was strange for Sirius to want to actually know a woman any better than what she liked in bed, but he was finally growing into his age. He wasn't a teenager anymore and that sort of relationship simply wasn't healthy for him now.

He knew that and he loved being with Jeannie, but a part of him that sounded suspiciously like Remus occasionally popped up wondering how in the hell _he_ could be healthy for _her_. Jeannie had everything he needed in spades, but what exactly did he bring to the table? Sirius didn't know, but she kept coming around and he wasn't arrogant enough anymore to think it was just for his good looks. She had plenty of her own money, too, so that wasn't it, either. Jeannie seemed happy, though, and Sirius decided that was good enough for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a rape survivor. All I know about the psychological issues is what I've read about, so I really hope I've done Jeannie justice here and I truly, truly hope I haven't offended anyone. She's too strong to really dwell on it and it happened nearly ten years ago, so I wanted her to be fairly factual rather than emotional while telling Sirius, but I tried to give her a bit of vulnerability with the fact that she didn't bring it up - Max told Sirius to ask about it - and with her reaction to Sirius trying to comfort her. Just because something is in the past doesn't mean that it doesn't matter anymore. It does and everything that happens to you becomes part of who you are.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	54. Past Lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, like I said last chapter, I am not a rape survivor. Jeannie and Sirius have a little chat in this chapter and they touch on some sensitive issues (as can be expected). Please remember this is a work of fiction. I'm not really going for exact accuracy here as I know that every person is an individual and deals with things differently. What works for one may not work for another and vise-versa. So, I wrote what I thought went best with Jeannie's personality, nothing more, nothing less. I truly hope I haven't offended anybody with any of this as I know this is a sensitive topic, but if I have, please feel free to pm me.

"So, can I ask you what happened _after_... you know, after what you told me last night?" Sirius asked carefully, trying to make it clear that he didn't _expect_ an answer, he was just curious.

It was the morning after she'd told him about Andreas Papadakis and they were having a lie-in. Sirius had gotten up earlier and made coffee, then found a batch of Molly's blueberry muffins and decided that breakfast in bed sounded good to him. A cold January morning with hot coffee, warm muffins and a soft warm woman beside him... mmm, she was wearing his t-shirt, too. Life was good.

Surprisingly, she answered quickly and without any obvious emotional trauma.

"You mean after Max started teaching me self defense and strength training?" she joked. "Well, I didn't really do much during the school year," she said, talking around a bite of muffin. "Charlie sniffed around a bit, but I wasn't really interested in anything, so we just stayed friends and nothing happened between us until sixth year when Tonks and I sort of shared him."

"Shared him?"

Jeannie chuckled. "Yeah, we sort of traded off weekends. I would go out with him one weekend, Tonks the next and so on. He was more into Tonks than me, but that didn't stop us from trying it with all three of us just before graduation."

Sirius dropped the bit of muffin he was holding. "I thought you were bullshitting us that morning!" he exclaimed, referring to the first morning he and Jeannie had woken up together, in the sitting room of Grimmauld Place, with Tonks and Remus laughing at them. Sirius had implied that Tonks may be emotionally scarred by finding them in that position and she'd retorted with a vague comment about sexual experimentation. Neither he nor Remus had believed it when Jeannie told them Charlie had been involved in that.

Jeannie cocked an eyebrow. "Nope," she said. "Charlie, Tonks and I had sex on the Hogwarts grounds right after finishing our N.E.W.T.s. Just felt right," she shrugged.

"Holy shit." Sirius blinked a few times to get that visual out of his head. "Okay, so what about outside of school? Summer breaks?"

"Well," she retrieved Sirius' discarded bit of muffin and popped it into her mouth, "there was one guy during the summer before sixth year. That was pretty horrible. I made the mistake of telling him what happened to me and he couldn't get past it. Would barely touch me and when he did, treated me like I was going to break or blow up at any second. I can't really blame him, though. We were the same age, so I'm sure he didn't know how to deal with it any better than I did, but it was still awful and only lasted about a month."

"Then, of course, there was Charlie in sixth year. I never told him what happened, so he never had any reason to worry about me or be careful with me and that was good, but he was more into to Tonks than me. We were just for fun, really." Jeannie settled back into the covers with her coffee. "After sixth year, I met a man. A friend took me to a sex club - you know, a BDSM club. She knew about me and thought I might be able to let myself go a little with a Dom rather than just a guy. Someone who knew what he was doing. She was right."

"You went to a sex club to fix your sex issues?" Sirius asked, flabbergasted. "I thought they have Muggle Healers to deal with that sort of thing."

"They do, and I went to one of those, but there's only so much you can do in theory. Just because you've talked yourself out doesn't mean that you've learned how to not flinch when someone touches you or not stay home simply because there _might_ be alcohol at a party. Sooner or later you have to deal with the practicalities. I didn't want to give up my sex life - I wanted to learn how to have a good one."

"And you did?"

"Well, you haven't had any complaints," she smirked, running her fingers over his bare chest.

"True," he said, bringing her fingers up to his mouth and kissing them. "But I like to think we're equals in the bedroom. I don't want to be your Dom. I want you to do what you want to do and because you like it, not just because you think I'd like it."

Jeannie chuckled softly. "You've never looked into the BDSM lifestyle, have you?" Sirius shook his head. "The Dom doesn't have the power in that relationship, the sub does. The Dom doesn't do anything the sub doesn't want at anytime. The sub has a safeword and if they use it, everything stops. Just like that. People sign contracts and everything. It's not a bad system, if that's what you want."

"Is that what you want?" Sirius asked, wondering how he'd spent a solid year shagging this woman without knowing anything of this.

"No," she said decisively. "I don't want that. I used it for what I needed and then I left. I like to be equal in the bedroom, too, and I don't like bringing structure and regulations into sex. There's something to be said for being able to call all the shots for a while as you figure out what you like and what you don't, but I found that I like spontaneity. I like a surprise now and then. I like going on a journey to find out what my partner likes rather than having him fill out a form where he's checked a bunch of boxes. I like what we do."

Sirius smiled at her. "I like what we do, too."

"My friend took me to that club just after sixth year ended and my relationship with the man I met there lasted until the middle of August. I learned a lot from him actually. Not just what I liked and disliked, but I learned how to please a man. I learned how to make things mutually beneficial. I learned how to be vocal about what I wanted and needed because if I didn't speak up for me, who was going to? All-in-all it was a good experience... but I'm glad I left when I did."

"Why's that?"

"Because it wasn't for me. And I knew that. It would have been really easy to stay in that world, but... it wouldn't have been right for me. I learned that from him, too. How to see what was right and wrong _for me_ and how to act on it. He taught me independence." Jeannie frowned a bit as she tried to explain it to Sirius in a way that would make sense. "A big part of the BDSM world is escapism. And there's nothing wrong with that every once in a while, but... I never needed to escape. What I needed was a safe environment where I had full control of pace and activity and where I could learn how to branch out safely and constructively. Once I did that, I no longer needed that group. I could do it on my own and I wanted to do it on my own. So I left."

Sirius thought about it for a minute. "Okay. I get that. So, after that? Between then and now?"

"Well, you know about Remus."

Sirius chuckled. "Yeah. I can honestly say I never thought I'd see the day when Remus Lupin would willingly defile a Hogwarts classroom. It's hilarious!"

Jeannie smiled at that. "Yeah. It is pretty funny now that I know him as well as I do. In his defense, though, it really wasn't his idea. And I wasn't taking no for an answer."

"I've seen that side of you once or twice," Sirius said, leaning in to kiss her neck. "I like it."

"Mmm," she sighed, enjoying the feel of his goatee. "Other than Remus, there was one guy before him and one guy after him. Just before I met you, actually."

"Anything serious?" he mumbled, nuzzling her.

"Yeah - you're Sirius," she answered, snickering at her own stupidity.

"Har, har," Sirius said with a nip to her shoulder.

She squirmed a little, then pushed him away. "Alright, Casanova, your turn. Who did you hone your talents on?"

Sirius settled back onto the pillows and tucked Jeannie into his side. "Well," he started, "there was a Muggle girl in a record shop who was my first kiss. I was fourteen at the time. Then there was a Muggle girl at a party I'd snuck out of the house to go to that same summer. She was a couple of years older than me but I guess she liked what she saw. She let me touch her breasts."

He grinned, clearly pleased with himself, so Jeannie pinched his side to get him to continue.

"Ow! Okay, okay... let's see. My _first_ was a girl named Callista Hitchins. It was my fifteenth birthday and James and Remus had smuggled some firewhiskey back from the last Hogsmeade trip. Well, I got properly pissed and she dragged me off to some unused classroom. I'm fairly certain it was horrible, but I thought I was in heaven," he shrugged. "After that, I pretty much worked my way through the female population. Not necessarily something I'm proud of now, but it seemed like a good arrangement at the time. Anyone who wasn't a Snake or a close cousin was fair game."

Sirius paused, momentarily distracted by Jeannie cleaning up muffin crumbs off his chest with her tongue. She looked up and grinned at him and he knew she knew exactly what she was doing. Minx, he thought, his lip curling into a snarl. He narrowed his eyes at her, but she just gave him a little smile and licked up another crumb.

"After Hogwarts," he continued bravely, "things slowed down a bit. We joined the Order and any... _personal_... acquaintances kinda had to be kept in the dark. For my part, the only exception was a girl named Marlene Mckinnon. She was in the Order, but we were never serious - we got together when we didn't have anybody else. _Are you having fun?!_ " Sirius asked suddenly, having been suffering through little teasing licks on his body that were slowly making their way south.

"Yes," Jeannie answered matter-of-factly. "How about you?"

Sirius groaned as she ducked her head under the covers and her talented tongue met his quickly stiffening erection. He let her lick him for a minute, then threw the covers off and pulled her up, kissing her deeply and thoroughly. Jeannie made a noise and Sirius suddenly paused, unsure of interpreting her reactions after what she'd told him. It was stupid, he knew, and the look on her face told him she would be cross with him very soon, but he couldn't help it. He put a finger against her lips.

"You'll tell me," he said quietly, "if something's not cool, right? Promise, please?"

"I promise," she answered, her tone both reassuring and somewhat threatening.

"Okay, baby," Sirius said, and resumed. He was more tender with her than he'd been before, but she decided that was understandable given what had come to light and she allowed it for the most part, only protesting once or twice when he just _wouldn't fucking do something_! He drove her higher and higher and when she fell off the cliff, she was wrapped in his arms, listening to her favourite sounds - the sounds of him letting go as well.

Sirius held her tenderly afterwards, stroking her back and her hair and, every so often, dipping down to take another pull from her lips. They laid like that for a long time, basking in the afternoon sun streaming in from her window until she knew he'd fallen asleep. Softly and gently, she pried herself from his grasp and went to take a shower, having a self-made appointment to keep that day. When she was clean and dry and clothed, she summoned some parchment and a quill and ink and left a note on the pillow next to Sirius for when he woke up, and left.

As the shadows of evening danced on the walls, Sirius' eyes fluttered open. He took in the empty space next to him and the discarded t-shirt on the dresser, then picked up the note with Jeannie's handwriting.

_Gone to visit Max. Might be awhile. - Baby_

* * *

 

"In here!" Max called from the kitchen after hearing his floo connection come to life.

"Oh, good, you're in the room with the knives," Jeannie said caustically. "Do you have any idea how mad I am at you right now?" she asked, leaning against the door frame.

Max took a deep breath, partly to stall giving an answer and partly to sniff the level of rage emanating from the petite woman. "As a matter of fact, I do have a pretty good idea how angry you are."

"You had no right to do that, Max."

"Maybe not. But can you honestly say you wouldn't have done the same for me were the situations reversed?"

"For me? _To me_ , Max! That was not doing me a favor!"

Max finished rinsing the glass he'd been washing and placed it in the dish-dry, then dried his hands and turned to face her. "Alright," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let's have it. You're no good at bottling things up. Let's get it over and done with. Let me have it."

Jeannie blinked, but it only took a second to snap out of it, putting one hand on her hip and the other pointing viciously at him. "You are an asshole! How dare you play me like that! Using Sirius against me? That's pretty fucking low! You could have at least asked me if I was okay talking about it!"

"You wouldn't have been."

"Probably not! But it wasn't your call to make! Why would you do that to me?!" Her tone went from angry and accusatory to almost plaintiff and Jeannie saw Max flinch at the question.

He was quiet for a minute. "Answer me one question and I'll answer yours," he suggested and Jeannie narrowed her eyes, but nodded. "Am I right in thinking you've fallen in love with Sirius?" Jeannie's scowl deepened. "Mm-hmm. That's what I thought."

"I didn't say anything!" she protested childishly.

"You didn't deny it, either," Max said. "You've been sleeping with the man for a year, Jeannie, and you've been emotionally invested with him for even longer. He's got a right to know the woman he's fallen for. You weren't going to bring it up until you were forced to and I know - " he held up a hand when she opened her mouth, " - _I know_ you don't like feeling manipulated like that but there was no other way to get past this."

"I am past it! I've left it in my past! That's why I don't talk about it!" Jeannie restrained herself from stamping her foot in annoyance.

"Yes, you left it in your past, but you haven't gotten over it," Max argued. "And maybe you never will. I can't know that, only you can. That's not what I meant, though. I meant there was no other way for _Sirius_ to get past it."

That brought her up short. "I don't know what that means, Max. Why does Sirius have to get over it? This is mine."

"Not anymore."

"Um - yes it is. Sirius wasn't there, Max, remember? This is about me, not him," Jeannie said.

"Not anymore."

Jeannie let out an aggravated sigh. "If you say that one more time, I'm going to hex you because I really don't know what the fuck it means. _Explain_."

Max took a deep breath. "Did Sirius tell you what he was doing when I told him to ask you about Papadakis?" She shook her head. "He was healing my hand for me. I ran into that Arschloch yesterday morning and I followed him. I steered him into an alley and I broke his nose. I... if I could have killed him and gotten away with it the night he hurt you, I would have done it, but do you remember what you said to me?"

Jeannie shook her head. The few days following the attack were a bit of a blur for her still and she really had no idea what she might have said to him.

"You told me you didn't want me committing murder for you. I was ready, I was willing and make no mistake, Jeannie - I could have done it, but you didn't want me to. And that made all the difference." He paused to let that sink in and saw Jeannie bite her lip. "Now, let me ask you this - how did Sirius react when you told him? You did tell him, didn't you? I assume you did because if you hadn't you would have been over here yelling at me last night."

"Yes, I told him. He said I didn't have to, but I told him I trusted you and I knew you wouldn't have made me do it if it wasn't important," she said, much quieter than before.

"And what did he say?"

Jeannie shrugged. "Not much. I told him, then I told him not to treat me like a victim and we just kind of ignored it the rest of the night. He looked pretty mad, though."

Max nodded. "And why do you think that was?"

"'Cause he cares," she muttered, ducking her head and not looking at him.

"And why do you think I hit Papadakis yesterday?"

"'Cause you care."

" _That's right_ ," he said, leaning towards her to make his point. " _I care._ He didn't rape me. I wasn't there when it started. I wasn't the one bleeding and bruised and torn, but it sure as hell felt like I was! Every time you whimpered when I carried you out of that caravan, every time I saw you wince when I treated your wounds, every time I saw you flinch at a sound or a movement felt like a knife to the gut! I wanted to kill him, Jeannie. I still want to, and if Sirius feels for you even one tenth of what I feel, I bet he wanted to kill him, too."

"I know you love your independence but your life isn't just yours, Jeannie. You belong to me, too. Just like I belong to you... and now you belong to Sirius as well," he finished softly, watching Jeannie angrily brush a tear from her face.

"What do you mean, he's fallen for me?" she asked quietly. Max didn't answer, he just looked at her pointedly. She looked away again. "I don't know how to do this," she whispered.

Max reached for her and she let him pull her in close, wrapping her in his large, strong arms. She'd told him once she felt safe that way, that she knew nothing could get to her when he held her like that, so he'd done it often after her attack and later. Any time she looked like she was losing control of the situation, Max would step in with a hug and try to make it all right again.

"I'm still mad at you," she mumbled into his chest.

He snorted. "You'll get over it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think a translation is really necessary, but 'Arschloch' means asshole/shithead/etc. All are acceptable for Papadakis in my opinion.


	55. Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention this in the last chapter's a/n, but I have opened a twitter account (yes, I know twitter has been around for years now, I just hadn't done it) under the same name, Worthfull1. So go check it out. Mostly posts about updating this story and complaining about writer's block, but it's worth a gander ;)

Max knew he'd sent his sister home with a lot to think about when she finally left hours later, but he felt he'd helped her as much as he could for now, so he returned to his preparations for leaving. Remus had expressed an interest in going with him to talk to the German packs and had even offered to ask Bill Weasley if he could set up an international 'Portkey', whatever that was. Max didn't really have a problem with Remus tagging along except that it was clear the professor was only going to avoid a certain pink-haired friend of his. A pink-haired friend who had also cornered him one day to talk about her love life.

 _How did I suddenly become everyone's relationship counselor?_ he wondered wryly, bringing out his suitcase to give it a good cleaning before the trip. He'd run his information through Dumbledore and the elderly wizard had given the mission his ok. Now all there was left to do was decide what to take. Being non-magical, he'd have to make due without things like shrinking and lightening charms and that meant he'd probably be doing laundry at least once a week. Max's memories of how the Bardulfrodel pack lived were sketchy at best and he had no idea how they did things now, but the intel he had from Alastar Conor said the weres were comparatively civilized - a far cry from Remus' tales of living amongst Greyback's pack years before.

Max and the professor had compared lives on several occasions since Jeannie brought him into the Order over a year before and their situations could not have been more different. Remus knew exactly who had bitten him and why, but Max had never found out the identity of the were that had turned him and killed his parents. Remus had lived with the persecution and isolation that their condition often came with but Max had grown into his curse within the safety and acceptance of the circus, which was basically a traveling freak show, so he was never really out of place. He didn't truly understand why Remus continually resisted Tonks' affections on account of his condition - he'd never had that problem with a woman, but the circus was a transient life, so he never stuck around too long, either.

He sighed as he set his now-clean suitcase aside and went over the list he'd started for the trip. With Remus taking care of transportation, all Max really needed to do was wrack his brain trying to remember anything at all about the Bardulfrodel that could potentially help or hurt them. He thought the pack had existed for a while, but he wasn't sure why he thought that. Some European werewolf packs were as old as magic itself and worked more like a brotherhood while others were simply a group of weres living together out of necessity or because they were more comfortable with their own kind.

The latter generally consisted of young werewolves, either bitten as children or young adults. These packs could be very dangerous because of their volatile nature. There was no real Alpha to speak of so the hierarchy of the pack was constantly in question. This led to fights, deaths and sometimes wars between rival packs. The older packs were different. The hierarchy of these packs was absolute and few dared question it. When an Alpha got to an age where he could no longer lead his pack, the senior members got together and decided on a worthy successor. This were would be someone who's authority would not be questioned and someone who could keep his charges in line even during the full moon. Of all the werewolf attacks, these older packs were responsible for very few, and this was due to the Alpha.

The magic of the Alpha werewolf was as old as Lycanthropy, but only werewolves who had lived in packs understood this dynamic. It wasn't a human concept and, as such, a new were was understandably leery of the idea. It took time and, even more importantly, careful guidance to enhance the understanding and sometimes even then a werewolf would choose to live separate and apart, without the camaraderie and protection afforded by the pack. Max felt, however, that their bigger danger lie in not having any intelligence on which way this particular pack would throw it's support. It could prove quite dangerous for him and Remus if the Bardulfrodel was already under the influence of Greyback and Voldemort.

So, two weeks later, Max and Remus met Bill at the appointed Portkey departure spot. Since a Portkey had a magical trace and could, theoretically, be followed, Bill gave Remus coordinates to meet him deep in a forest in Wales, far from the Ministry of Magic. Bill had chosen the spot at random on the map, thinking that the very lack of planning would be enough to dissuade anyone from looking too far into the movements.

"I'm afraid you're not going to like this, Max," Bill warned, as the two werewolves stood before him, counting down the seconds before the Portkey went active. "Traveling by Portkey is even worse than apparition and the farther you travel, the less fun it becomes. Just want you to be aware."

Max nodded. "I know. Jeannie filled me in the other day," he said, slightly apprehensive. Max hated magical travel, but this was infinitely easier and faster than an airplane or the train.

"Alright," Bill said. "Hands on, guys. 10, 9, 8, 7 - " he counted down the seconds. Max and Remus grabbed the opposite ends of the old, battered umbrella as it began to glow. " - 3, 2, 1, and... "

* * *

 

Landing hard, Max dropped to his knees and threw up. That had been even worse than Jeannie had described. Lupin had taken a knee as well but, being much more experienced with Portkeys, managed not to lose his breakfast. Taking out his wand, Remus vanished Max's mess and waited for the blonde to finish retching. Once Max regained control of his stomach, he looked up and saw that they had landed in the middle of another forest. Being still only February, the frost was hard on the ground and, while looking more carefully at their surroundings, he sensed the presence of another.

Remus seemed to sense it, too, as his eyes darted this way and that, his sharpened sight tuned to every rustle of every leaf and every twitch of every branch. A moment later, a man slightly older than the two intruders stepped out from behind a tree. His expression was open, but he'd kept one arm hidden and Max would bet every cent he had that the man was holding a shotgun. The man's nose twitched and Remus and Max knew they had found a werewolf. They just didn't know if he was one of the weres they were hoping to find.

Max cleared his throat. "Guten Tag, _(Good day.)_ " he greeted cautiously. "Wir haben gehört, das der Mond in dieser Gegend sehr schön sein soll. _(We hear the moon is quite beautiful in these parts.)_ " This was the code he'd gotten from Alastar Conor in order to verify the pack identity of the were that was supposed to meet them.

The man stared at them for a long minute and Remus began to wonder if they'd made a grave mistake. Finally, he spoke. "Umso mehr, wenn voll. _(Even more so when full.)_ " he said, confirming that he was, in fact, the man sent from the Bardulfrodel to meet the newcomers.

Max relaxed slightly and Remus sensed it. Speaking not a word of German, Remus was at a bit of a disadvantage, but his senses kept him from missing out on too much. He noticed the way both men tensed and relaxed during their brief exchange. He saw the way the unknown werewolf glanced repeatedly at the wand held loosely at his side and he noticed, too, how the man kept one arm partially hidden behind the tree, as though he was holding something he didn't want them to know about right away.

His suspicions were confirmed a moment later as the man turned, beckoning them to follow as he led them deeper into the woods. In his hand he held a shotgun. Remus and Max followed, though, and Remus took the time to observe their new companion. Just shy of six feet tall, Remus judged him to be around forty years old. He had brown hair and brown eyes and his physique was strong, but not bulky like Max. He strode quickly through the forest without limping or hunching over and it struck Remus that this may prove to be an altogether different sort of pack than he was used to. The brief periods of time that he'd spent in the pack had weakened him physically, but this man seemed to have thrived.

Finally, the scents changed. Max and the other man exchanged a few words and Max told Remus they were getting close. Remus could tell. He could sense the presence of other human beings and he could smell traces of Lycanthropy in the air. Dwellings began to appear around them and the trees thinned. It looked to Remus like a picture of one of the resistance camps he'd read about in a book about the Muggle World Wars. People fleeing into the forest and creating a society there, then coming into town to wreak havoc on the invading army.

There were wood cabins that were clearly domiciles and pathways leading to and from, some with small gardens in the back. Nobody seemed to be home, though, and Remus wondered about that until their guide led them to a large building that sat in the middle of the community. Log-built, like the homes, but this one was much larger, as though it was a meeting hall. When the werewolf opened the doors and let Remus and Max inside, Remus saw that he was correct. This was where meetings took place.

The whole community seemed to be gathered there, as there were at least fifty people sitting on benches. At the front of the meeting hall sat three people, two men and one woman. The man in the center was clearly the Alpha. He was not exceptionally large physically, but he exuded an air of absolute authority. His gaze was not welcoming nor hostile, and Remus took some comfort from that. The Alphas he'd had to deal with before had been immediately and obviously suspicious of him and he'd often had to fight just for the right to exist in their presence. This man, however, showed none of that animosity.

Their guide walked up to him, head slightly bowed, and spoke a few words, then turned and took his seat in the front row. The Alpha looked Remus and Max up and down a few times before standing and approaching Max. Max inclined his head like he'd seen the other were do and the two men shared a few words. The Alpha shook Max's hand and then turned to Remus.

"Mr. Lupin," he said in English, holding out his hand. "Welcome to the Bardulfrodel. I have been told that you do not speak German so we will continue in English and I will translate for my pack. My name is Rafe Hemming and I am the Alpha here."

Remus took his hand, shaking firmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alpha," he replied, inclining his head as well.

"No, none of that," Hemming said. "You are not a part of my pack and, as such, I do not require your obedience or submission. We will speak as equals and we will use each other's names, not titles. Is that agreeable, Remus?"

"Certainly, Rafe." _Yes,_ Remus thought, _this is an entirely different sort of pack._

Rafe nodded. "Good. Now, why don't you have a seat - " his second-in-command brought two more chairs up to the front and made a semi-circle so they all still faced the pack, " - and tell me what exactly is the nature of your visit? Mr. Conor was very shy on details."

Remus began to explain the situation, and Rafe sat quietly, listening intently, his deep-set blue eyes and slightly weathered face showing his intelligence and understanding. Clearly, he was an educated man. Every so often, he would stop Remus so he could translate things for his pack, the men and women sitting patiently during the meeting, and then ask Remus to go on. Once or twice he would ask a question, each one more well thought out than the last.

Rafe had heard of Greyback and Voldemort but, since the first war was relegated mostly to England, neither had become much of a problem in Germany. He was hesitant about involving his pack in international affairs, and he seemed surprised to hear that there had been rumours of Greyback starting to recruit outside of the United Kingdom. When Remus was done, Rafe translated the last bit for his pack and dismissed them, promising to hold another meeting before any decisions were made. The members of the pack filtered out, leaving behind Max, Remus, Rafe, his second-in-command and the woman.

After having a quick word with the woman, she too left and Rafe turned to Remus and Max. "We have some time before supper. Perhaps you'd like to see a bit more of our community?" Both men replied in the affirmative and Rafe told them to leave their luggage, the other man stepping forward to take it. "We have a cabin for the both of you, but I would like for you to eat with me tonight, if that is agreeable to you?"

"Certainly," Remus said.

Max nodded. "Danke."

Rafe led them out of the meeting hall and down what appeared to be the main path of the community. "The German Ministry of Magic does things very differently than the British, I believe," he said. "Our Ministry lets us do as we please as long as we pose no threat to the wider world. Most of the people in the towns and villages close to us know that we are here, but they do not know _what_ we are. They are mostly... erm - what do you call them... the people who are not magic?"

"Muggles," Remus supplied.

"Right, Muggles. That is what the majority of our neighbors are." As he spoke, they walked around the camp. Remus saw children playing in a few of the yards, women hanging clothes out on lines, men and women working the gardens and a long building split into several workshops where craftsmen were hard at work. "We go into town and sell what we've made or the fruits and vegetables we've grown and then buy what we need. We hunt in the forest for meat and the ones here that are not Lycanthropes leave for the full moon."

"The ones that are not Lycanthropes?" Remus repeated. "Some of these people are not werewolves?"

Rafe looked slightly confused. "No, of course not," he said, as if it should have been obvious. "Most are, but some of the spouses and the children are not infected. They leave before the moon rises and come back the next day."

"And these people... they have been able to make relationships and families work despite their condition?" Max cut in pointedly. He wasn't looking at Remus but Remus knew who he was really talking to.

"Why wouldn't they?" Rafe asked. "The man or woman with our condition is the same man or woman they were before, the only difference is that allowances have to be made for one night a month. The infection cannot be passed on to our children, so there is no real danger. As long as appropriate measures are taken, we are able to live our lives the same way we always have, with the same people."

"Are you certain the infection cannot pass to children?" Remus asked. "I've never heard of any studies done."

"Neither have I," Rafe answered. "Not official studies, anyway. The Bardulfrodel, however, has had many children born within it's pack and we've not had a single case of inherited Lycanthropy. And we've been around nearly two thousand years," he added. He continued walking, but Remus paused, only following when Max passed him and cocked an eyebrow. Remus narrowed his eyes slightly and fell in step.

Rafe showed them around the entire community before bringing them to his own home. A wood cabin, set a bit apart from the others (another sign of his authority and superiority), with a small garden on the side and smoke coming from the chimney. He opened the door and allowed Remus and Max to enter. The woman from the meeting hall was there, setting the table and wonderful smells were coming from the kitchen.

"Eat with us tonight, and then Christine and I will show you to your cabin." Rafe invited them to the table and Christine brought out a bottle of wine. At the end of the night, standing in front of the guest cabin, Rafe turned to the two men. "If you really want to understand us and want us to work with you, you need to stay through a moon. Do you think your people will be able to live without you for a few weeks?"

"Yes," Max answered and Remus nodded in agreement. "We did not know how long we would be, so we have no engagements to return for in the near future."

"Thank you for allowing us to stay, Rafe," Remus said, extending his hand.

"It is my pleasure." Rafe shook hands with both men. "We do not often have visitors. Perhaps we will be able to learn from each other."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a few sentences in German here and I know a few of my readers speak German, so please don't hesitate to correct me! My pm box is always open ;)
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	56. Life And Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know last chapter didn't have any Sirius or Jeannie in it, but I thought it was necessary for the Remus/Tonks sub-plot. Sorry if anyone was disappointed, and I hope this chapter kinda makes up for it. No Jeannie/Sirius but some Sirius/Harry bonding.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1

"Sirius! Sirius Black! _Sirius!_ "

The voice coming from inside his robe startled Sirius and he jumped a little before reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out the two-way mirror. Harry's pale face greeted him and he was instantly on his feet, ready to floo or apparate to wherever he was needed.

"Harry! What's happened, son?" he asked urgently.

"It's Ron, Sirius," Harry replied. "He's been poisoned."

"What?! How? Where are you now?" Sirius demanded.

"I'm in the Hospital Wing with him," Harry said. "Dumbledore's letting Mr. and Mrs. Weasley know, but... I just... are you busy?" he asked hesitatingly.

"Of course not, Harry," Sirius assured him. "I'm on my way."

Sirius had been in the drawing room working on reports for Moody and Dumbledore. Remus was usually the one to do that, but since he was still in Germany with Max, the task had fallen temporarily to Sirius. He grabbed a piece of parchment and his quill and quickly penned a note to Jeannie, who was out spending some time in Muggle London, trying to find out if there had been any Death Eater activity the Order hadn't heard about yet. Leaving the note on the desk, Sirius went to the fireplace and floo'd directly into the Hospital Wing.

There, on a bed, was the pale, still form of Ron Weasley. He looked like death, but the sheets rose and fell with his breathing. Hermione was sitting on a chair next to his bed, holding his hand in hers and sniffling. Flicking his wand, Sirius summoned a box of tissues from Madam Pomfrey's stash and took them over to Hermione. The girl looked up and her blood-shot eyes widened with surprise at Sirius' presence. He winked at her and sent her a small smile, handing her the tissues. She blushed a little, but nodded her thanks and took the box.

Harry was standing at the foot of the bed and Sirius could see the shock really setting in, so he put an arm around the boy's shoulders and steered him a few beds away, where they could still see Ron, but could also talk without disturbing anyone. He put up a _Muffliato_ and sat down on the bed, patting the space next to him. Harry sat on the very edge, eyes still trained on Ron, looking as though he was going to leap up at any second.

"What happened?" Sirius asked.

"Uh - it was a love potion," Harry started.

"A love potion? Oh, right, because of Valentine's Day a couple weeks ago?" Sirius said, thanking the stars that his witch had threatened castration if he did anything as stupid as try to celebrate the day of love. He was a lucky man.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. One of those girls I told you about - Romilda Vane - she spiked a box of cauldron cakes with love potion and gave it to me a couple of weeks ago. I'd forgotten about them, but they must have fallen out of my trunk this morning and Ron found them and ate them. _All_ of them. He thought they were his birthday presents."

"Shit," Sirius snorted.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "It was ridiculous. He tried to fight me and I took his wand away from him... I tricked him into going to Slughorn's office with me so he could brew Ron an antidote. Well, Slughorn did and it worked, of course, but then he said we should have a drink with him. He said he'd bought a bottle of expensive mead as a present for Dumbledore, but he hadn't gotten around to giving it to him, so he opened it and poured us each a glass. Ron drank his first and started... I don't know - it was like a seizure. All I could think about was a bezoar, so I ran to Slughorn's supply closet and grabbed one and shoved it down Ron's throat. He stopped seizing, but he was turning blue, so we brought him down here."

"Well, obviously you did the right thing," Sirius said. "Poisoned mead, huh?"

"Yeah. Meant for Dumbledore." Harry gave him a meaningful look and Sirius knew what he was trying to tell him.

"I'm keeping everything in mind, Harry," he assured him. "Trust me, okay?"

Harry nodded. "I do," he said simply.

Sirius smiled at that and rubbed Harry's back soothingly. Harry's trust meant so much to him... he hoped he would never do anything to lose it. They'd had several talks via mirror about what Harry thought was going on in the school and Sirius did his best to quell the young man's fears and anxieties, but he knew Harry wasn't stupid. There _was_ something happening, it's just that nobody knew what.

"Why does she defend him so much?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Er... who defends who, son?" Sirius asked, caught off guard.

"Jeannie," Harry explained. "She defended Malfoy over Christmas when I said he was evil. She also said he was there when she got hurt, though. I don't understand, Sirius. Why does she defend him?"

Sirius exhaled heavily. "Well... that's complicated, Harry," he said, wondering how he was going to explain that to a teenage boy who had a bad history with the subject. He thought back to when Lily would defend Snape and, seeing how Snape turned out, he wasn't sure he could make a believable case for Malfoy. "Harry... Jeannie made a good point. Her relationship with Draco is completely different from the one you have with him. She's seen other sides of him that you haven't and she knows things about him you don't. I have a feeling you're opinion of him may be a bit biased," he suggested cautiously.

Harry bristled. "I know he's up to something, Sirius," he insisted. "I know he's the one that cursed Alicia and I know that mead came from him! I just can't prove it!"

"That's kind of my point, though," Sirius tried gently. "You may very well be right about all of it, Harry, but we have to look at other things as well. His actions - or, _suspected_ actions - aren't enough. We have to look at motives and intent, too. Just because someone does something doesn't mean that they wanted to or had a choice in the matter."

"There's always a choice, Sirius," Harry stated, a bit coldly.

"True," Sirius conceded. "That's very true. But sometimes the only choice left to you is the lesser of two evils." Harry narrowed his eyes at him as though he was making excuses for Malfoy. "Look at it this way, Harry. Remember what Jeannie said at Christmas? That if Malfoy is 'up to something' as you like to put it, maybe it's because he's being threatened? Well, what if that's true? What if Voldemort is threatening Narcissa? What if he's told Draco he'll kill her if Draco doesn't do what he wants? Don't you think Draco would do whatever he had to to get his mother out of that situation?"

Harry frowned. "Maybe, but - "

"But what?" Sirius prompted. "Harry, you keep thinking of Draco like he's a mature, sophisticated individual who's fully capable of sound reasoning and is choosing his side. That's not the case. He's a teenage boy who's still in school and dealing with all the shit you have to deal with only with the added trouble of whatever is going on. I believe there is something going on with him, but I don't know exactly what it is and I'm willing to give the boy the benefit of the doubt right now because I remember how I was at fifteen and sixteen. I thought everything was black and white then, too. It takes a bit of life experience and maturity to see things differently."

Harry thought about it for a minute, then huffed as though he weren't convinced, but was willing to drop it for now. "So, we should trust Jeannie?" he asked.

Sirius paused. "Is there a reason we shouldn't?" he asked genuinely.

Harry shrugged. "I saw her dancing with him at the Christmas party and the way she talked about him at the Burrow... I don't know, Sirius, I just - I know she's your girlfriend and all, but - it's _Malfoy_ ," he said quietly and without real conviction, as though he knew his words sounded childish.

"Hmm. Well, girlfriend or not, Harry, you shouldn't trust anything that doesn't make sense to you," Sirius said. "Probably even more so when girlfriends are involved. Those tend to dull the reasoning capabilities, you know what I mean?" he asked and Harry blushed and grinned. "But that's something you have get right in your own head. I can't really help with that. Let me ask you this, though - what does Hermione say about all this?"

" _'We don't know anything about him, Harry, and we shouldn't judge him until we do'_ ," Harry mocked, rolling his eyes. " _'Remember second year, Harry.'_ "

Sirius barked a laugh. "Well, you trust her, don't you?" Harry nodded. "I think we've got some very smart birds, and we should probably listen to them. But that doesn't mean we can't consider all possibilities," he added pointedly. Harry smirked slightly. "It also doesn't mean we have to tell them what we're thinking, now does it?"

Harry chuckled at that. "I understand," he said. "Thanks for coming, Sirius."

Sirius grinned. "Well, you didn't expect me to leave you to Molly's smothering all by yourself, did you?" he asked, nodding towards Ron's bed where Molly and Arthur were hovering. As he spoke, Molly looked up and caught sight of Harry, starting towards him with her arms outstretched and tears running down her face.

"Oh, no," Harry said, just as Sirius cancelled the _Muffliato_.

"Oh, Harry!" Molly gushed, throwing her arms around him and effectively cutting off his air supply. "You saved him! You wonderful boy, thank you!"

"It was just a bezoar, Mrs. Weasley," Harry insisted, struggling against her grasp. "It was there in the cabinet and I grabbed it, that's all. It's not like I had to go find a goat." He glared daggers at Sirius who was starting to turn red from holding in his laughter.

* * *

 

It was now ten days past the full moon and Remus was getting restless. As tempting as it was to throw everything away and stay in Germany with the Bardulfrodel, he knew he could never do it. He needed to get back home. Get back to the fight. Get back to... no, not back to Dora. He shook his head. England was not the utopia of the Bardulfrodel's forest. There, he was still feared and hated and his associates still looked upon with suspicion and sometimes revulsion.

Rafe had been right about staying through the moon. It was truly an enlightening experience to see husbands, wives and children pack overnight bags and depart the camp for a relative's house or a hotel in town the afternoon before the moon rose. When they'd gone, Rafe brought Remus and Max's Wolfsbane personally, looking curiously at them as they downed the awful-tasting brew. When Remus asked, Rafe explained that he'd never taken the potion. His entire Lycanthropic life had been spent within the structure of the pack and he needed no 'wizard's drink' to keep his mind.

The two outsiders were stunned at that, but Rafe assured them that no danger would come to anyone outside the camp. After all, the Bardulfrodel pack predated the Wolfsbane potion by some nineteen hundred years and very few infections had occurred because of them. They evacuated the non-inflicted simply as a precaution and because the weres did not want their loved ones witnessing the transformation. He told Remus and Max that they were free to roam within the camp after the transformation and then left, presumably to prepare himself for the real duties of an Alpha.

Shortly after moon-rise, when Remus and Max were once again getting used to their temporary forms, a lone howl pierced through the night. It was not a howl of pain or fear, nor was it a warning of terrible things to come. It was a sound of authority, low and clear, and there was no mistaking it's meaning or it's necessity. This was the Alpha's Call, reminding his subjects of their place and their duty to him, themselves and the rest of the population. Within seconds, answering howls filled the air, submissive and obedient, pledging once again their loyalty to their Pack and their Alpha.

It had turned out to be one of the most peaceful moons Remus had ever experienced, even surpassing his first moon with Wolfsbane, where he'd returned to the Shrieking Shack despite it's bad memories, curled up on what remained of the shredded bed and slept until sunrise. He did, in fact, leave the cabin he was sharing with Max, but chose not to venture further than the front garden. There was no need. No hint of danger in the air, no scent of fear, no sounds of fighting... the forest had retired for the evening along with it's inhabitants.

In the week that followed, Remus and Max did their best to convince Rafe to at least stay on their side, even if he didn't want to send people to England to fight. He wasn't keen on the idea of any of his people leaving the forest and there was good reason for that. There were no wand-carrying witches or wizards in his pack. There were a few who showed signs of magical ability, but none had been schooled or trained and would be sitting ducks in a battle. Remus understood that, but he argued that not all of Greyback's followers were magical, either, and any help they could get would be beneficial.

In the end, they came to an agreement. If there was to be fighting that members of his pack could be useful in, Remus was to contact them immediately. He was also to set up some sort of magical transportation device to get them to where they were needed. Also, Rafe would send emissaries to neighboring packs to try and set up some sort of werewolf alliance. If those packs would not fight, then they could at least remain neutral and deny Greyback new members.

Rafe admitted that, although he spoke English very well, reading and writing it was another matter, so Max agreed to accept all letters to and from the pack and translate them for him. Remus went into the nearest wizarding town, bought a beautiful tawny owl and presented her to Rafe with his compliments. Rafe was aware of how owl post worked and had even used it on occasion, so sending and receiving letters posed no problem. The men agreed to keep each other posted and now Remus was wanting to get back home.

"You are more than welcome to stay another moon, Remus," Rafe told him and Max one evening as they sat in Rafe's sitting room, enjoying good conversation and better whiskey.

In addition to their talks on the war, the three men had found many common interests and it was not unusual to have two a.m. roll around without anyone having noticed the passing of the night. Though not as well read as Remus nor as well traveled as Max, Rafe had an instinctive sense of how things worked outside of the insulation of the pack. His father had been some sort of minor diplomat in the German government following the Second World War and Rafe had grown up around men talking politics and philosophy and could hold his own on nearly any topic.

"I appreciate the offer, Rafe, but I really must get back," Remus replied. "I need to give my reports and get back to my work in England."

Rafe looked to Max. "My offer applies to you as well, mein Freund _(my friend)_ ," he said.

"Danke," Max answered, "but I need to go back as well. We are needed there and my sister will be worried until we return."

"I understand. Perhaps, after this war is over, you will bring her here for a visit?" Rafe asked. "She would be welcome as well. Your lady friend, too, Remus," he added.

"My... ?" Remus looked momentarily confused. "Oh... er... there really is no lady friend," he said, giving Max a look.

Rafe laughed. "Don't look to Max, Remus. He didn't say anything. But I am not blind - there have been several times I have caught you staring into space, a wistful look on your face."

"Ah, well... " Remus cleared his throat. "Things... England is not Germany, Rafe. Things are complicated there. There is a young, beautiful, intelligent, capable woman whose life is difficult enough without my negative influence." He stared into the amber liquid in his glass.

"She is in love with him," Max supplied. "But he is a noble fool," he said, saluting Remus with his whiskey tumbler. Remus growled in reply and rolled his eyes as he caught Rafe smirking at him.

The Alpha shook his head in amusement. It didn't surprise him to hear the reticent Englishman was being difficult. "And how much longer do you think he will be able to hold out, mein Freund?" he asked the blonde.

"Not much longer," Max answered cheerfully. "This particular witch happens to be my sister's best friend and my sister has threatened Remus with many terrible things if he does not come to his senses."

Rafe laughed outright at this. "Ah, Remus, don't you know there's only one thing in the world more powerful than a werewolf?"

Remus sighed. "And what might that be?"

Rafe grinned. _"She-wolves."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my longest chapter, I know, but I still like it ;) I'm finally starting to get back on track with my writing, so hopefully there won't be any more month and a half long absences. Fingers crossed! We are creeping up on the end of the first part of this story and I have the last few chapters written. As soon as they're edited and generally cleaned up, I'll post.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	57. April Showers Bring May Flowers

_'Sirius, please come to my office immediately. There is something we need to discuss.'_

The phoenix patronus vanished into whisps and Sirius and Jeannie shared a worried look before Sirius hurried through the floo. It had been almost two months since Ron had been in the Hospital Wing and at least six weeks since Harry had a cracked skull due to that idiot McLaggen wanting to play _all_ positions on the Quidditch field, so Sirius wondered if perhaps Hermione was due for a catastrophe. Surely, though, Dumbledore would have owled her parents if that were the case?

Not knowing what to think, he was surprised to see none other than Severus Snape scowling in greeting as he stepped into the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore ignored this and gestured for Sirius to take a seat. "Sirius, I'm afraid there's been an incident," he said.

"An incident?" Sirius repeated, nerves and senses now on full alert.

"Yes. Harry and Draco Malfoy got into a duel earlier and Harry...," Dumbledore paused. "Well, he used a spell I would not have expected him to know... or, even, to have heard of and I certainly would never have expected him to use."

"Are the boys alright?" Sirius asked urgently.

"They are as alright as can be expected. Mr. Malfoy is in the Hospital Wing and will be spending some time there, and Harry - while physically uninjured - will take some time to recover as well. His wounds are more emotional in nature."

Sirius took a deep breath. "Okay. So, why is he here?" he jerked his head towards Snape.

"I am Draco Malfoy's Head of House, Black," he sneered. "Why wouldn't I be present when the Headmaster speaks to the guardian of the boy who attacked him?"

"Harry attacked him? Says who? You?" Sirius countered. Snape opened his mouth but Dumbledore preempted him.

"It is unclear who fired the first hex, Sirius," he said. "Even Harry could not tell me who started it. However, that is not the biggest issue. We need to talk about the spell he used."

Sirius turned his attention back to Dumbledore. "What sort of spell are we talking about, Albus?" This was the second time the old man had mentioned the magic used in the duel.

"Harry cast the _Sectumsempra_ curse, Sirius," Dumbledore said gravely.

" _Sectumsempra?!_ That's _your_ curse!" Sirius shouted at Snape, rising from his chair. "I thought you were supposed to be teaching _Defense_ Against the Dark Arts!"

Snape's eyes narrowed. " _I_ did not teach Potter that spell, Black. Where he came across it, I do not know, but I have my suspicions. You're little saviour, however, has decided to keep certain information to himself and _that_ is why you are here."

"Gentlemen, please," Dumbledore broke in before Sirius could respond. "Have mercy on an old man." He sighed. "Sirius, we believe Harry may have come into possession of a textbook that once belonged to Severus. A potions textbook, to be exact. Being quite talented in that area - " Sirius' snort was ignored " - Severus made many notes and improvements on the instructions in the book and I think that may also explain Harry's new-found aptitude for the subject."

"And in the margins, he wrote instructions on how to perform Dark magic? Is that where Harry found the spell?" Sirius asked caustically. "Still sure about his allegiances, Albus?"

"That spell was created when I was fifteen, Black," Snape sneered. "Need I remind you what you yourself was capable of at fifteen?"

"Enough!" Dumbledore said, his voice sharp. "We have been over these subjects too many times to revisit them yet again today. Sirius, if Harry does have this book, I would like you to get it from him and bring it to me. I'm sure it would not be too much trouble to have him sent a brand new copy. Severus, you already have given him detention for the rest of the year. This discussion is over." The dismissal was clear, but Sirius was the only one to leave. Severus waited a moment to be sure the animagus was not loitering just outside the door.

"Worthless mutt," he groused. "You should have allowed me to confiscate the book."

"When you have taken my position after my demise, you may make those decisions yourself, Severus," Dumbledore answered. "But, for now at least, I am still Headmaster."

Snape stared at the aged wizard for a long time before leaving the office. He paused at the door. "You are a fool, Albus Dumbledore," he said, and exited in a flurry of billowing black robes.

Dumbledore sighed wearily. "Let us hope not," he said to the empty door.

* * *

 

Once past the gargoyle, Sirius pulled out the two-way mirror and called Harry's name. No answer. Sirius sighed, not too surprised at that, and began making his way to Gryffindor Tower, running into Neville on the way.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Black," Neville said with a smile.

"Sirius," he corrected. "Are you heading up to the Tower?"

"Yes. Are you looking for Harry?" Sirius nodded. "I just saw him when I was coming back from the greenhouses. Professor Sprout allowed me to help her harvest the belladonna to replenish Professor Slughorn's stores and I'd just left when I ran into him. He had his broom with him and he said he was going down to the Quidditch pitch."

"Is there a practice?" Sirius asked.

"No," Neville smiled. "Harry does that sometimes. Says flying helps him clear his head."

Sirius chuckled. "His old man used to do that, too. Yours, however, was absolute shit in the sky!" he said, making Neville laugh. "Frank was an excellent dueler, though. Don't think I ever tangled with anyone as... courageous as him. Smart, too. Used hexes and jinxes I had to go look up afterwards."

Neville smiled. "What was... " he paused, as though he wasn't sure he wanted to ask. "What was my mother good at?" he finished quietly.

"Alice - " Sirius sighed. "Alice was good at a lot of things. But she was best at bringing people out of their own heads. Deflated me and James fairly frequently... that is, if Lily hadn't gotten to it first," he smirked. "Alice had a way of helping people sort out their issues. If you needed someone to talk to you could always go to Alice. She always told the truth... even when you didn't want to hear it."

"I've got lots of pictures of them," Neville said. "And Gran talks about them a lot - and, of course, we go see them every holiday... but it's nice to hear about them from someone else sometimes. A friend, you know?"

Sirius nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, I do." He smiled at the boy - young man - who looked so much like both of his parents depending on what angle you caught him at. "Well, you'd better get up to the Tower. I'm sure there's homework to do. I need to go find that godson of mine."

"Yeah, alright. 'Bye... Sirius."

Neville headed up a staircase that moved when he was halfway up, depositing him on the correct floor and Sirius turned around, making for the Quidditch pitch. Little had changed since he'd been a student and although he'd snuck down there as Padfoot during Harry's third year, it still felt like ages since he'd walked that familiar path. The stadium rose up before him, high and intimidating, and he could feel the thrill and adrenaline of the game just by walking through the stands.

He climbed about halfway up the Gryffindor side and sat down on one of the ancient benches. High in the air a lone broom could be seen, dipping and swerving around non-existent opponents, the movements so precise and natural Sirius suddenly felt sad. _James should be here watching this,_ he thought, _not me._ Harry dove and rose, turned and ducked and even came to a complete stop in mid-air as Sirius watched, fascinated. There still seemed to be so much about the boy he didn't know. Of course, he knew Harry was an excellent flyer, but he'd clearly improved from that game three years before.

Sirius was just thinking he should come to another game when Harry flew down to him, taking his time circling the field. Finally, he landed a few feet away and dismounted, setting his broom aside and collapsing on the bench next to his godfather. He didn't say anything at first, he just rested his elbows on his knees and bowed his head, hands fisting in already unruly and wind-blown hair. Sirius could tell the duel with Malfoy was eating at him, so he let him have a minute. At last, Harry sighed deeply and spoke.

"I fucked up, Sirius," he said, his voice flat. "Really bad."

At that moment Sirius knew without a doubt that Harry had not known what the _Sectumsempra_ curse would do when he cast it. It was likely that it was just the first thing that popped into his head in the heat of the fight and he probably said the incantation before he even realized what he was doing. But, Harry was right. He'd fucked up. Reaching over, Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulder.

"I know, son," he said. "I know."

* * *

 

Jeannie was peacefully asleep when a rather harsh nudge broke into her slumber. She moved over a bit, thinking that she'd been hogging the bed again, and settled in only have it happen once more. Waking a bit more this time, she came to her senses and realized something was wrong. Sitting up, she turned to the man behind her. His long, black hair was plastered to his sweat-drenched head and he was thrashing about, arms and legs moving as if on their own accord. He wasn't moaning like usual, though. He was sobbing, and that alone was enough to send a chill down Jeannie's spine and bring her to full wakefulness.

"Baby," she called, her voice rough from sleep. "Baby, come on... wake up." Jeannie grabbed one of his arms carefully, remembering to keep a loose hold because he was stronger than she gave him credit for during nightmares and he always felt guilty when he threw her off.

He mumbled and sobbed incoherently, but didn't wake. Jeannie snapped her fingers, turning on the lights, and tried again. This time it worked and Sirius started violently, nearly knocking his head against Jeannie's as he shot up. Jeannie placed one hand on his sweaty chest and the other on his sweaty cheek and forced him to make eye contact with her.

"Sirius, it's me," she said lowly. "Everything's fine. It was just a nightmare. You're safe here."

These episodes happened less and less, but during times of stress, they were almost a certainty. Sirius had come back from Hogwarts late that evening, clearly distressed about whatever Dumbledore had wanted to talk to him about and he hadn't wanted to repeat the conversation to Jeannie. She backed off, knowing he would talk to her when he was ready and they'd had a nice, quiet supper together, but now she was cursing herself for not expecting a nightmare.

The wildness in Sirius' eyes eventually diminished as it always did and she knew he'd come out of it when he blinked a few times and fell back on the bed, breathing heavy and rubbing his hands over his face. Reaching over, Jeannie grabbed her wand and summoned a cool flannel from the bathroom. She wiped the sweat from Sirius' upper body and when he took his hands away from his face, she gently dabbed his forehead. A large, tattooed hand came up to cup her face and she kissed the damp palm, earning just the barest hint of a smile from the thin lips that sat under bloodshot grey eyes.

"Do you want to talk?" she asked softly, banishing the flannel back to the bathroom. Sirius shook his head as usual but then frowned.

"Yeah," he said, his voice hoarse. He took a few breaths and Jeannie waited patiently. "Harry... he came across a Dark spell in a book and - it was written in the margins like a note - and he didn't know what it did, but... he got into a duel with Draco Malfoy earlier today and he used the spell. Even though he didn't know what it would do, he used it." Sirius paused. "It was James," he continued, now talking about the nightmare. "He was mad at me for letting Harry get into Dark magic. James... he always hated the Dark Arts... and he was yelling at me for letting this happen."

"What was the spell?" Jeannie asked.

_"Sectumsempra."_

Jeannie frowned. "I've never heard of it."

"Not many have," Sirius said. "Snape created it when he was a teenager. He only taught it to a few of his Death Eater pals. It was... it was like his signature. Harry somehow came across his old Potions book where he'd written it down and..." He exhaled heavily. "I don't know what the fuck he thought he was doing, using a spell he'd never seen or heard of... the Malfoy kid could have _died_."

Jeannie's eyebrows raised. "What does _Sectumsempra_ do?"

"It rips you to shreds. Slices through every vital vein in your body and you bleed out within minutes. If Snape hadn't been in the next corridor..." Sirius' face screwed up in pain. "Harry knows he fucked up, but... I just feel like I should have known about this book. Like I should have asked another question or pressed something further. I should've known _something_. Shouldn't I've?"

"No, baby," Jeannie chuckled. "It doesn't work that way. You know that. Harry is a teenage boy. You can't go through his things or put him in time-out if he doesn't want to tell you something. If he were younger, maybe, but not now. You said he found it in an old potions book? Is this the book he was talking about over Christmas? The one with the stupid nickname in it?"

Sirius nodded. "The half-blood prince. Whatever that means. I wouldn't put it past the slimy git to give himself a title," he scoffed.

"Well, it's good that you're worried about Harry but don't beat yourself up over this. It sounds like it was an accident. Teenage boys lose their tempers and when that happens, sense and reason go out the window, too," she said and Sirius snorted. "You probably know that better than anyone."

He nodded ruefully and Jeannie summoned a glass of cool water. Sirius took a few sips and put it down on the nightstand with a yawn. "Alright," he said, "let's try again."

Jeannie turned off the lights and snuggled close, knowing that after a nightmare Sirius needed to hold something that could hold him back. They wrapped their arms around each other and let the night retake them. The next morning while Sirius was in the shower, Jeannie penned a short note. She drew a small phoenix on the bottom of the parchment instead of a signature and waved her wand over it, sending it immediately to it's intended recipient. Hundreds of miles away, a blonde young man sitting in the Hospital Wing with bandages covering most of his upper body gingerly picked up the note that had appeared in a flash of light.

_Nothing has changed since Christmas._

* * *

 

A few days later, Sirius reached for his mirror. Due to having detention with Snape, Harry missed out on the last Quidditch game of the year earlier in the day and Sirius wanted to find out how the game went and possibly cheer Harry up. Calling Harry's name, however, did not bring him his godson like he'd expected. It brought a teenage girl with mussed fiery red hair and slightly flushed cheeks.

"Hello, Sirius," Ginny greeted, as Harry could be heard in the background demanding that she return his property.

Sirius blinked, taking a minute longer than usual to let it sink in what he'd interrupted. "Evening, Gin," he said finally. "You look... busy."

"Just slightly. Night's young, though," she said cheerfully and Harry groaned.

_"Come on, Ginny, give me back the mirror!"_

"Indeed. Well, I won't keep you long, I just wanted to make sure Harry wasn't sulking about missing the match and I wanted to know if we'd won."

"We did win," she confirmed. "I caught the Snitch and we won the House Cup while we were at it. Harry is not being allowed to sulk and we're... er, _celebrating_."

"Oh, good," Sirius grinned. "I'll let you get back to it, then. Oh, and Gin?"

"Yeah?"

He winked at her. "Kiss him good night for me, will you?"

Ginny beamed. "Cheers, Sirius!" she said happily and the mirror went dark, but not before a muffled _'oomph!'_ could be heard.

Sirius barked a laugh, falling back into his chair and turning his gaze upward. "Ah, James..." he said to the ceiling. "I hope you heard that, wherever you are." Sighing, he ran a hand over his face and walked down to Grimmauld's kitchen where Remus was pouring himself a cup of tea.

"What's got you grinning?" Remus asked, pulling out another mug and another teabag.

"Gryffindor won the game," he said, taking a seat at the table. "And the House Cup."

"Good. And?"

"Well, while everyone was in the Common Room, partying and admiring the Cup... Harry was somewhere else admiring Ginny."

Remus turned to him and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Sirius chuckled. "Harry didn't answer the mirror. Ginny did. And she looked a bit disheveled."

"Oh," Remus said, laughing. "Please tell me you didn't interrupt them."

"A bit, yeah," Sirius admitted. "But I don't think she'll let him dwell on it for long." His chuckles turned into full-blown laughter. "You should have heard him, Moony, telling her to give him the mirror. She ignored him completely. Talk about déja-vu."

"Yeah, whoever heard of a redhead ignoring demands made by a Potter?" Remus asked facetiously, bringing Sirius his tea and sitting down himself. Both men were quiet for a while, lost in memories, before Sirius raised his mug.

"Prongs," he said in toast.

"Prongs," Remus agreed, clinking their mugs together.


	58. Coming To A Head

Albus Dumbledore sighed wearily. He had known fifteen years ago that it was only a matter of time before Tom Riddle returned to full strength but, for his part, he could have waited a little longer. After hearing Harry's full story two years ago at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the aged wizard had spent some time in his pensieve, repeatedly going over the few solid pieces he had to this horrifying puzzle. He had been watching the signs - he knew Tom Riddle better than anyone - but even he had not been prepared for what had come out of Harry's mouth. The scene the boy had described had drawn a picture of Dark Magic that he himself had never been a witness to and some of it he'd never even heard of.

When he had been a young man, full of the curiosity of youth, he had investigated the Dark Arts. He had been told, of course, that that kind of magic was evil - only performed by people who wished to do evil, but nobody had been able to tell him exactly _why_. He still thought that if one performed a certain spell with noble intentions, then it couldn't possibly be evil. Oh, how wrong he'd been. The deeper he'd delved, the darker the magic became, and the darker _he_ became as well. It had taken a while to crawl out of the abyss that he'd thrown himself into and, in the process, he'd lost the one person he had tried desperately to keep away from it. His beautiful sister, Ariana, had been killed during his falling-out with Grindlewald and, to this day, he did not know whose spell had done it.

That was it - the turning point. He now knew the power of the Dark Arts, and from that day forward, never again performed that kind of magic. He knew first-hand that what you had to give up could never be worth what little you received. He did not, however, stop his research. Realizing now the attraction and the power, he made it his mission to stay one step ahead of those susceptible to it. And he had - until Tom Riddle, that is. During his first meeting with the boy, Albus recognized the signs. Unwilling to believe that a child could be so far gone, he brought him into the fold. He wanted the young Riddle to experience love and acceptance - something he would never find in the Muggle orphanage, but could be found at Hogwarts with children of his own kind. He quickly realized, however, that the boy had no true peers. He was very private - no, guarded - and he never really did make friends, only followers. He did not let people in, preferring to keep himself to himself and preferring his own company to anyone and everyone else.

Never once, that Dumbledore could recall, did the boy _ever_ confide in _anyone_ , resorting to his own counsel at all times. There were, of course, several incidents during Tom's years at Hogwarts, but they could never be directly tied to him. Albus knew, though, and what's more, _Tom_ knew that Albus knew. He simply didn't care. Dumbledore kept a close eye on Riddle from his earliest days and he suspected that he knew more about him than anyone else, save Tom himself. When Tom left Hogwarts, Dumbledore continued watching him, waiting for the signs. He couldn't have known, of course, during that first meeting at the orphanage, that he'd just met the most powerful Dark wizard the magical world had ever seen, but as the years went by he watched, and waited, and was not disappointed.

It saddened him when he realized that there was absolutely nothing he could do to save the young man, but he understood how these things worked. If Tom had a fault then, it was his youth - his inexperience with how the world worked and his inability to _completely_ cover his tracks. He learned quickly, though, and it soon became much harder to follow his movements. He learned how to use people, and how to dispose of them properly when they had worn out their usefulness. For a while, it was not unheard-of to have a witch or wizard confessing to crimes they couldn't possibly have committed. Being an incredibly talented Legilimens, Riddle had simply implanted a memory in a random person he'd had kidnapped off the street, and sent them back on their merry way.

And it just got worse. As his power grew, so did his hunger for more, and it wasn't long before whispers of a Dark Lord were being heard in the magical community. He had followers, now - the whispered names familiar to Dumbledore who had watched some of them trailing behind the teenaged Riddle in school. Now they were being called something else - Death Eaters. Some were talented witches and wizards in their own right, making a conscious decision to be led by this man. Some were brutes, known only for their mean nature and merciless attitude. Some were simply stooges, to be used as _he_ saw fit. They did, however, share one trait - they were all either purebloods or halfbloods who had renounced whatever muggle blood may run in their veins.

There was no doubt in Dumbledore's mind who was behind this movement but, just as in school, Tom left no visible trail - no evidence that could be traced back to him. He even went so far as to give himself a new name - _Lord Voldemort_ , but still he had not gone public. The longer he waited, the more anxious Albus became. Tom was taking his sweet time, and Dumbledore didn't like it. He had a feeling that when _Lord Voldemort_ saw fit to make his appearance, it would be something not soon forgotten. And he had been right. Soon after he denied Tom the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, the Death Eaters went public. Well, as public as possible while wearing robes and masks to hide their identity.

Muggle-born witches and wizards were targeted - kidnapped, tortured, killed. Innocent people were put under the Imperious Curse and forced to do horrible things to ones they loved, which in turn caused them to go insane with guilt when the curse was lifted. People were tortured into insanity, then sent back. Muggles were murdered. Of course, the Muggles didn't know what was happening which made them the perfect victims. What Muggle law-enforcement official would believe that a man came in waving a stick around and suddenly people were dead and he didn't even have to touch them. It was like magic!

Things got worse and worse. Tom recruited the giants, who were like self-contained weapons of mass destruction when angry. He also brought in the werewolves, the vampires, the hags - any person or creature that had been marginalized or discriminated against. He made deals with them, promised them powers and freedoms they had never enjoyed. All they had to do was follow him. _Lord Voldemort_ would provide. After they swore allegiance to him, they were unleashed onto whatever unsuspecting victims Tom had picked, and the carnage was great. Towns destroyed, families torn apart or killed. There was no middle ground - you were either a follower or a target.

The Ministry was in shambles as well. They had been completely unprepared for what was going on and spent most of their time chasing their own tails as they fell for whatever half-baked false trail the Death Eaters laid in front of them. Even before the first war, Albus had seen the need for a secret society - a band of vigilantes, almost - working completely outside of the Ministry and doing the things the officials couldn't because of rules, regulations and red tape. He'd hand-picked his people and spoke to each one individually, wanting to be sure of their convictions, then brought them all together.

_The Order of the Phoenix._

Once it became clear that there was going to be a war, Albus gathered his flock and set to work. It was not easy. They were playing catch-up trying to figure out who had been turned, who had been forced and who had been Imperiused, sometimes with no way to tell either way. A few were easy calls. Lucius Malfoy, for instance, was clearly under no coercion and the same could be said for the Lestrange brothers, Rodolphus' wife Bellatrix, Crabbe, Goyle, Avery, Nott, Mulciber, and several other former Slytherins who'd had less than stellar reputations during their school years.

Inside Hogwarts, too, Albus was keeping score. Students who had family ties to known (or strongly suspected) Death Eaters were watched closely as were those who showed a marked distaste for blood-status and social standing. He watched sadly as Severus Snape's friendship with Lily Evans disintegrated and the unhappy boy cleave ever closer to some unsavory characters. He observed the Black brothers have falling-out after falling-out, forever trying to bring the other 'into the fold'. He knew about 'secret' meetings in 'secret' passageways where 'secret' societies attempted to recruit and he kept a very close eye on those who had refused the Dark Lord's emissaries.

Albus Dumbledore was not a heartless man, but he did recognize the role he was preparing to take - that of war leader. He still saw his students as students, but he also kept count of his assets. He let the group known as the 'Marauders' get away with mischief because he knew the camaraderie that came with it would cement friendships. The elder Black and the Potter heir looked at each other as brothers and the lycanthropic Lupin thrived on their friendship. Albus had always known that the Pettigrew boy was the weak link in the group, but he'd truly had no idea just how devastating he would prove to be, to all involved.

They had not won the first war. The newspapers said so, and many believed it, but it was not so. Albus understood that not only was there no winning in war, but that the war was not over. He knew Tom Riddle was not gone. He knew it was only a matter of time before he resurfaced and he had his suspicions about what had really happened that night in Godric's Hollow, but nothing had prepared him for the fallout of Harry Potter's fourth year.

Immediately, suspicions were confirmed, old acquaintances were contacted, the truth was revealed to those who would believe it and new _sympaticos_ were brought in. The Order had suffered many casualties the first time around, so new blood was sorely needed and where hope had once been only abstract, now it was solidified in the form of a skinny teenage boy who seemed to be a magnet for trouble and mayhem.

Albus slipped effortlessly back into the 'war leader' role and that should have been his first warning. It had been too easy to re-assume that position and responsibility and it had taken a comedy of errors that very nearly ended in total ruin to bring him back into awareness. His apology to Harry after the Department of Mysteries was heartfelt, but so was his assertion that he was not the only person at fault. There really had been no reason Harry should have ever even entertained the idea that it was his job to rescue anyone, but Albus saw that had he been more open with the boy, things would not have happened the way they did.

This year, Albus had been forced to be more open with Harry because of his injury. _'Stupid old fool!'_ Severus had scolded him as he worked to save his life after the trip to the Gaunt house. Albus really couldn't agree more. It had been abject stupidity that had caused him to put on that cursed ring and, in doing so, he forfeited his very existence. He should have known the ring would fight back. He _had_ known the ring would fight back, he just...

The old wizard sighed again. The curse was killing him. He could feel the Dark magic seeping ever closer to his very core and when that happened, he prayed the end would come quick. He had made arrangements for that, but that depended on the actions of others - most of whom he didn't trust - and that made him uneasy. He did not want to fall prey to Bellatrix or Greyback, who would most assuredly have some fun before disposing of him. Albus truly didn't think he had it in him anymore to bear torture, so he made what plans he could and was now waiting for the right moment, if such a thing existed. He only hoped he'd be able to recognize it.

A knock on his office door broke the reverie. Looking up, his clock told him it time for his adventure with Harry. "Come in," he called.

The boy in question entered the office, looking slightly nervous, but determined and excited. It was true what people said - the resemblance to James Potter was uncanny - but Harry's personality was Lily's. All the way, just in a more masculine form. Lily's hope, compassion, loyalty and sense of right and wrong were embodied in her son, but Harry had grown into his own person. Especially after the Department of Mysteries. Harry had always had priorities, but now he had a goal, a mission, and that was going to mould him into the man he was quickly becoming.

Albus smiled. "Good evening, Harry. Are you ready?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. Are you sure it's there?"

"I believe so. However, we won't know for sure until we're fully committed," Albus answered honestly.

"Alright," Harry said. "Let's go, then."

* * *

 

Harry made his way to the Hospital Wing in a daze, the events of the last several hours still feeling like an out-of-body experience, like he'd witnessed them from the outside, like they hadn't happened to him. Like they hadn't happened at all. Pushing the door open and stepping inside, he caught the tail-end of a conversation. Professor McGonagall was speaking to Arthur Weasley.

"It's going to be fine. As soon as Dumbledore - "

"Dumbledore's dead."

Harry's quiet statement was met with gasps and shouts of shock. Clearly news had not reached the Hospital Wing yet.

"Who?" Lupin's question was almost a whisper, the pain of losing the man responsible for his education written across his face.

"Snape."

_This_ was met with silence. McGonagall put her hand over her heart and collapsed into a chair, Lupin leaned against the wall looking defeated but Sirius was shaking with fury. Striding quickly to the far corner of the room, he threw up a barrier that closed off both sound and vision so as to let his rage go without disturbing the others. The moment of quiet was finally broken by a pained groan.

Greyback had been pulled off Bill in time to save the young man's life but not in time to save his face. Remus had already informed them all that the scars would never heal properly and that Bill would most likely get agitated around the full moon and crave very rare steak, but he did not think the eldest Weasley brother would turn when the moon rose. Fenrir was feral and probably capable of infecting even without the moon, but Bill's scent had not changed significantly, as it should have if he'd been turned.

Remus explained this as unemotionally as possible with his hands clasped behind him and his head down, trying to sound more like a professor of theory than an expert by personal experience. He knew it would be easy to draw parallels between himself and Greyback and that was the last thing he wanted. What he had not expected, however, was for Molly to suddenly rush towards him and throw her arms around his middle, burying her head in his chest and sobbing into his shirt. Remus looked up, alarmed, and locked eyes with a very solemn Arthur.

"Thank you, Remus," he said, more serious than Remus had ever heard him.

Bewildered, Remus held Molly for a minute until she'd gotten herself under control. "Yes, thank you, Remus," she echoed, making use of the handkerchief he'd offered before picking up a jar of healing salve Madam Pomfrey had brought for Bill's injuries.

Still confused but unwilling to question further, Remus retreated to the side of the room and leaned against the wall, the night's events catching up with him as Harry told them Dumbledore had been killed. The taste of defeat was sour. So lost in his own thoughts was he that he almost missed Molly's comment about Bill and Fleur's wedding being cancelled.

"And jus' _what_ do you mean by zat?!" Fleur asked angrily, the veela temper very close to the surface.

"Well, dear...," Molly stuttered. "I just meant that... I mean, you wouldn't want to... well, after... _now_..."

"Wouldn't want to _what_? After _what_?" she repeated. "You theenk now zat 'e has scars I will not want to marry 'im? Or, perhaps, you _'ope_? Let me tell you somezing, Molly Weasley. Bill is not your leetle boy - 'e is _my man_. And my man is brave. And ze scars prove eet. And _I_ will do _zat_!" Fleur hissed, snatching the jar of salve from Molly's hands and dabbing it onto Bill's face herself.

Molly stood stock still and stared at Fleur for many long moments before speaking. "We... Arthur and I... would love to have the wedding at the Burrow. If that's alright with you, of course."

Fluer didn't look up from her task, but she nodded stiffly. "I will talk eet over wiz my fiancé," she replied.

"Of course," Molly murmured.

During this exchange, Jeannie watched Remus, and the amount of effort he was using to look unaffected made her furious. She started towards him, not really sure what she wanted to do - maybe transfigure something into a broomstick handle and knock him over the head with it, but Tonks got there first. Grabbing the older man by the lapels, she shouted at him that she didn't care. Just like Fleur, she loved him no matter what. Jeannie nodded her approval, but then something caught her eye.

Sirius' barrier shimmered slightly, then disappeared. The man himself sat on the floor in the corner with his knees pulled up and his arms resting on them. His hands were bloody and the wall behind him had streaks of red in several places. Sirius' wand was on the floor next to him and he was staring ahead, unseeing. Deciding to let Tonks deal with Remus for the moment, Jeannie went to tend to her man. She knelt in front of him and began cleaning and healing his self-inflicted injuries, moving slowly and deliberately, knowing he was closer to Padfoot than Sirius at the moment and keeping one ear on the situation behind them.

"... I've told you a million times, Remus... I don't care!"

"... and I've told _you_ a million times, Tonks, it can't work..."

"... I love you, Remus..."

"... Tonks, please... please don't... Dumbledore is dead..."

"Dumbledore would be happier than anyone to know there was a little more love in the world, Remus," Minerva interrupted, earning a frustrated scowl from him and a grateful half-smile from Tonks.

Jeannie continued working on Sirius, surprised at just how much damage he'd been able to do to himself with just a stationary wall as a weapon. She cleaned the cuts, sealed the skin and set the broken bones, all the while with him staring right through her. Finally, she was done and she stood, helped him to his feet and handed him his wand just in time to see Tonks back away from Remus and run from the room.

Jeannie moved towards Remus again, but this time it was Sirius' newly-healed hand on her arm that stopped her. She turned to glare at him, but stood down as she recognized the look of a man who'd had enough. The grey-eyed animagus walked calmly up to his oldest living friend and fixed him with a steely stare. Remus looked back pathetically, clearly lost and adrift in the tricky waters of love. Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Go. Find. Her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, I re-worked this scene from the original, but one or two quotes are very close, if not word-for-word. If you recognize it, I don't own it. The next chapter is all about Remus and Tonks and it's the last chapter of Part One of this story. I'm excited to post it and will do so as soon as it's ready ;)


	59. Go Find Her

_"Go. Find. Her."_

Remus hung his head, his face screwed up in pain and embarrassment. Sighing heavily, he nodded and walked steadily out of the Hospital Wing to do just that, knowing that he couldn't avoid things any longer. Something was going to be decided, tonight. Using his heightened senses, he followed her scent to an abandoned classroom on the fourth floor and pushed open the door.

There, sitting on top of a desk with her feet on the chair of the desk in front of her, sat a witch with limp, mousy-brown hair. Her clothes were torn in a couple places and there was a smudge on her cheek; the remnants of the battle they'd just fought together. She didn't move as he walked in, but he caught a slight stiffening of her shoulders that told him she knew it was him. Her head was down and she didn't bother looking up at him.

"What do you want?" she asked, her tone broken and resigned.

Remus didn't answer. What did he want? He didn't know anymore. Moving further into the room, he approached the professor's desk in front of Tonks and leaned against it, the irony of their seating arrangement lost on him in his emotional turmoil.

"You let me make a fool out of myself in front of everyone we know, you follow me here, you ruin my quiet moment and you can't even tell me what you want?" she pressed. Tonks shook her head wearily and snorted humourlessly. "I swear, Remus, I think you're middle name is 'silence'."

"My middle name is John."

The words were out of his mouth before he even realized he'd spoken. He saw her eyes flick towards him momentarily, but still she didn't look up.

"I didn't know that," she said quietly, cursing herself as her brain automatically filed it away with all the other tidbits of information she'd discovered about Remus.

Remus paused. "John was my mother's father," he continued. "My mother was a Muggle."

This time she did look at him. In the dim light of the classroom, Remus thought he saw her eyes change colour slightly. "What was her name?" she asked.

"Hope. Hope Howell. She was walking through a forest one day and my father saved her from a boggart," Remus told her.

Tonks' eyes narrowed as though she thought he was lying to her. "Muggles can't see boggarts."

"Not true," Remus countered, the teacher in him coming forward. "That's a common myth of the magical world. Muggles can't see dementors, but they can see boggarts. Especially Muggles who believe in magical creatures like faeries and unicorns - like my mother. Of course, they don't know what they are which is why it's rarely reported, but they can see them."

"Hmm," Tonks murmured, picking nervously at her fingers. "Is there anything you don't know?"

Remus crossed his arms over his chest. "There's lots I don't know. What in the hell you think is so wonderful about me is top of the list at the moment."

"I'm struggling with that myself right now," Tonks answered caustically.

"Really? Could have fooled me back in the Hospital Wing. You may have made a fool of yourself but you also humiliated me at the same time. Thanks for that, by the way." He didn't know why he was being so harsh with her all of a sudden, but part of him wanted to drive her away, show her what he could be, scare her off once and for all.

"Fuck you, Remus!" she hissed. "Just because you don't want anything better from life doesn't mean the rest of us can't dream! Can't hope! Can't try!"

"But I'm not better! That's what I don't understand! What is it about a poor, broken-down, prematurely grey, unemployed _werewolf_ that looks like 'better' to you?!" he yelled, finally losing patience with her. Her words in the Hospital Wing had sent daggers through him and the events of the last year had torn him apart piece by piece. Tonks' love would surely put him back together - he knew that as well as he knew his own name - but what was the cost to _her_?

Tonks shook her head, tears shining again in her eyes. "You don't get it, Remus! You _never_ have. Poor, broken-down, unemployed - that's what _you_ see when you look at yourself. That's not what _I_ see. _I_ see a kind, intelligent, loyal, brave man who turns his disadvantages into his strengths and puts his neck on the line to protect the people he loves the best way he can. I see what you could have been if you hadn't been bitten. I see what you _will_ be after we win this war. I see the _man_... and I love him."

Remus was quiet for a long moment, lips pursed and breathing deep as her words flowed through him like a siren's song. "Alright," he said finally. "Maybe you do see that. _Maybe._ But the rest of the world doesn't, Tonks. That's what _you_ don't get. The minute you make a relationship with me public, you're life ends. Friends at work? Gone. Superiors giving out promotions? Gone. Privileges that come with being an Auror? Gone. Possibly even your career! You know as well as I do that the Ministry will fall soon, even sooner now that Dumbledore..." his voice broke a little. "And when that happens, those who are sympathetic to our cause will be the first to go."

" _Exactly_ ," Tonks answered. "I'm not stupid, Remus. I know what's going on. Probably even better than you do because I get to report in every day. I see how things are changing and I don't want anything to do with it! This is not why I became an Auror! My _career_ is currently swirling in the bowl, waiting for the right moment to be flushed. Don't you understand? None of that matters anymore!"

Remus leaned down to look her in the eye, his stare hard. "I'm. Not. Worth. It."

Tonks laughed. Actually laughed. "Boy, you've got a fat fucking head, Lupin!" she cried. "A lot of things I do revolve around you, that's true. I cry over you, I have trouble morphing because of you, I haven't been eating right because of you - Mum's right pissed about that, by the way - but the way I do my _job_ has nothing to do with you! The Ministry will fall. Soon. And when it does, I'm gone. There will be no place for me in the new regime and I'm no double agent. So, you can shove your career arguments right up your arse!"

Remus blinked. "You're leaving the DMLE?"

Tonks' jaw dropped. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. I know I'm talking. I recognize the sound of my own voice. Why can't you hear me?"

"I heard you just fine. You're leaving your job."

"Yes, I'm leaving my job. Not right this minute, but yeah. It'll happen."

"Why?"

"Why did you leave the wolf packs?"

"What? That's completely different - "

"If you really think it's all that different, you're not nearly as intelligent as I gave you credit for, Remus," she said scathingly.

That shut him up. He knew from Kingsley how bad things were getting at the Ministry, but somehow he never figured that would mean Tonks giving up her job on principle. "Okay, fine. No more job arguments. There's still society and your family," he said.

"Merlin's balls," she said, rubbing her hands over her face in frustration. "You're really not worth it. Only you could want to have a logical conversation before deciding whether or not he accepts someone's love." She shook her head. "Society and my family. Alright. I wear pink hair and combat boots when I'm out in _society_ and you expect me to care about what they think of my partner? Fuck them. And as for my family, despite being very unhappy with you right now, my parents know better than to try to tell me who to love. You're forgetting who they are. Mum got blasted off the family tree when she married dad and Bellatrix sent them both death threats twice a week until she calmed down. The only member of my family I care about is Sirius and I know he's already given his blessing."

Remus opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again as she suddenly stood and walked towards the door.

"You've fucked me over in every conceivable way this year, Remus, and I still want you," she said, her voice tired. "But I can't make myself fear you. I can't make myself older for you. I can't make myself believe that I would be better off without you and I can't make my feelings for you go away. Now I realize that my feelings are just that - mine. I had hoped that you might feel for me what I feel for you, but that's clearly not the case. It's okay. I'll get over it. I'll have to," she shrugged. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with my tissue box."

She sniffled quietly as she reached for the door to push it open and Remus broke. He couldn't let her leave thinking that her feelings were one-sided. He couldn't let her walk away from him again. Sirius was right, it had gone far enough. Drawing his wand, he locked and sealed the door, then prepared himself for her wrath as she froze, realizing what he'd done.

"Lupin," she nearly growled. "I'm warning you."

Remus calmly placed his wand on the desk and crossed his arms again. "If you would like to hex me, I will not stop you. I deserve everything you can throw at me and more and I know that. I have pushed you away in an effort to make you hate me, make you realize that I'm not worth it, make you see that I can do nothing good for you, but it seems that has backfired on me and I find myself powerless against you."

"I don't have many strengths," he admitted, "but I have become a master of masking my emotions and my pain. Thirty years of being a werewolf will do that to you. You have to grow a pretty thick skin to handle the looks, the passing comments, the fearful expressions on children's faces. You have no idea, Nymphadora, of the shame and humiliation that come with the disease I didn't ask for. You have no idea of the things I've seen in the camps, the monstrous things my kind are capable of... There's a reason werewolves are feared and separated from society."

"But, of all the hurtful things I have done to you this year, I have not lied to you, and I won't now. I cannot let you walk away from me tonight without you knowing where I stand. We've never really had a clear conversation about this." He took a deep breath. "I am in love with you, Nymphadora Tonks. And that scares me. That scares me more than anything in this world. You forget, this is my second war. I've already lost everything once. I know how badly it hurts and I'm tired of hurting. I'm scared that you will wake up one morning and realize just what you've tied your life to. I'm scared that one day, I'll see on your face the look I see on everyone else's face when they find out what I am. I'm scared that I will lose you and I'm not sure what would be worse - to live in regret that I didn't take the chance you've offered me or to know exactly what has been taken away from me and pine for it. I just don't know."

Tonks stood, pressed against the door, with tears streaming down her face. She didn't even have it in her to yell at him for using her first name. Twice. All she heard was his admittance of love. The words she'd been dreaming of for over a year. The words she would wake up in the middle of the night swearing that she'd heard him say only to find herself alone in cold sheets. She bit her lip.

" _'Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all'_ ," she croaked.

Remus huffed a laugh and smiled slightly. "You read Tennyson?" he asked, surprised.

"No," she admitted, pushing off the door and walking unsteadily back to him. "My dad used to read it to my mum after they put me to bed when I was little. I'd sneak downstairs and listen."

"Ah, your earliest adventures in stealth and tracking," he teased gently.

Her lips quirked upward half-heartedly. "Why did you tell me all this?"

Remus sighed. "Because I... couldn't keep it from you anymore. Because Minerva's right - Dumbledore would be happy to know there is love in the world. Because Sirius has threatened to kick my arse if things go on like this much longer and if that happens, Jeannie will take my balls."

Tonks snorted. "Good thing it hasn't reached that point yet, then. I'm quite partial to both parts of your anatomy."

Remus blushed and rolled his eyes. He'd spent so much time trying to distance himself, he'd forgotten what it was like to talk to her with nobody around. "I don't know what to do here, Dora," he whispered.

She stepped closer. "Dora...," she repeated, trying it out. "I don't hate it."

"No? I thought you'd yell at me for calling you by your first name earlier."

"Well, you did admit to being in love with me in the same speech, so I guess I can forgive you," she said. "Did you mean it?"

He nodded. "I've never lied to you, and I never will."

Tonks leaned up and pressed her lips to his. He kissed back hesitatingly, so she pushed on, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and sighing into him when she felt his hands at her waist. Remus reacted to that sigh instinctively, slipping his tongue into her mouth and swallowing groans from both of them. It had been far too long. Apparently, this was especially true for Tonks, who suddenly became dead weight in his arms, startling Remus back to reality.

"Whoa! You okay?" he asked, holding her tighter to steady her.

She blushed a little. "Yeah. Sorry, just got a little lightheaded there." She went to resume the kiss, but he stopped her.

"Your hair," he said.

"I know, it's hideous, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. I told you I've been having trouble morphing."

"No - Dora, it's pink again."

" _What?!_ " Tonks reached up and grabbed a lock of her own hair, nearly dislodging it from her head in the process and brought it around to her face for a look. She stared, wide-eyed, at the strands as, sure enough, the mousy brown slowly bled away to be replaced by a pale pink blush. It wasn't her normal bubble-gum hue, but it was a start.

Remus' amused huff died as she launched herself at him without warning, knocking the breath from his lungs. He scrambled to keep them both upright as she seemed determined to do just the opposite and tried to push him to lay down on the desk while simultaneously attempting to mount him right there in that unused classroom. Finally forced to put his hands in an indelicate area to keep her from tumbling to the ground, she misread his intentions and ground against him, pulling a growl from his throat.

"Tonks... _oomph_... Dora... stop, please... just a second...," he tried, his words muffled by the kisses she was peppering across his face. When she moved to his neck, he took his chance. "I'd really like to take you to dinner!" he shouted, knowing it was probably his last opportunity to make that request before she had her way with him.

She paused and he lifted his head a bit just in time for her to snap her head up, catching his nose with her forehead. "Ow!" he exclaimed as she apologized and proceeded to kiss the affected area.

"You want to take me to dinner?" she repeated. "Like a date?"

"Yes," he said, still seeing stars. "But only if you promise to not hit me."

Tonks ignored this. " _You_ , Remus Lupin, want to take _me_ on a date?"

"Yes. What, is that not the way things are done anymore? I'll admit, it's been a while for me."

"How long?"

"Since I've been on an actual date?"

"Yeah."

"Er... 1989."

"Seriously? You haven't dated since 1989?"

"No, I haven't _dated_ anyone since 1989. To be fair, though, I don't think I've asked a girl out since then, either."

"They would have said yes, you know."

"I don't know that at all. I think you're just abnormal."

"I haven't said yes yet."

"Oh... right."

Tonks grinned at him expectantly and he sighed, knowing what she wanted. Remus supposed she deserved to be asked out properly after all he'd put her through the past year, but he still felt a bit like a teenager asking a girl to Hogsmeade.

"Nymphadora Tonks," he started, smirking a little at her scowl at the use of her full name. "Will you do me the honor of accompanying me on a date?"

She smiled widely and her hair gained another shade. "Yes," she said, throwing herself at him again.

"No no no... _calm down, woman!_ " Remus yelped as her hand began an unmistakable southbound trek down his front. She stopped and pouted at him. "Dora, if we do this - if you really want to do this with me - then we're going to do it right. One night of drunken shagging does not a relationship make," he insisted.

"But...," she pouted. "I want you, Remus."

"I want you, too," he admitted. "Very badly. But more than that, I love you and I want to do things properly. You can understand that, can't you?"

Tonks huffed. "I suppose," she said petulantly. "So, no sex before dating?" Remus nodded. "What about after?"

"Afterwards, we can re-evaluate that," he said, his hands on her waist, rubbing his thumbs into her soft sides. He began to worry as a devious grin grew on her face.

"I'm free tonight, you know."

* * *

 

After Remus gently reminded her of what had happened earlier that night, they both agreed to wait a few days out of respect for Dumbledore. The man had been an integral part of both their lives and even the joy of finally being together could not entirely dull the pain of losing him. On the day of the funeral, they went to the school together, holding hands to give the other support as the tomb was closed and sealed. When the Centaurs had released their arrows, and the echoes of Fawkes' last cry had faded, they went back to her place and talked and drank tea and cuddled on the sofa - neither of them was up for more.

A few days later, Remus showed up at Tonks' flat, well-dressed and clean-shaven, and told her to put on something other than combat boots because they had reservations in Muggle London in an hour. He apparated them into a hidden alleyway and they walked around to the restaurant, Remus playing the perfect gentleman. He opened the door for her, pulled out her chair, poured her wine and even complimented the shade of honey-brown she'd morphed her hair, thinking that pink hair might get some stares.

When dessert came, Tonks was too busy admiring the way the wrinkles in Remus' face had seemingly melted away while telling a story about James that she wasn't paying any attention to what came out of her mouth. Only when he choked on his coffee and stared at her, wide-eyed and red-faced, did she actually realize what she'd said.

"Marry me," she repeated, never in her life being more sure of her intent. "You said you want to do things right? Well, marry me. Make an honest woman out of me. Make me yours. Officially."

"Dora, I - " he started, "I don't know that I can. I mean - " he continued quickly, desperate to not let that look of hope slip from her face. "I mean, I'm not sure I'm allowed to, given my... condition."

Tonks shrugged. "So we'll do it in the Muggle world. I want to marry you, Remus - really, I don't care how we do it. It'll be real to us no matter where or how," she argued. "Marry me?"

Remus stared at her so long she thought he wasn't going to answer her. Finally, he gently and lovingly took her hand in his and opened his mouth.

"Alright."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those wondering, I am keeping Remus and Tonks canon up until the final battle. After that, we'll see. In other news, this marks the last chapter of Part One of this story! Hooray! I wondered sometimes if we were ever going to get here. Part Two will (obviously) go through the war and maybe beyond...? Maybe ;) You'll have to stay tuned to find out!
> 
> A very heartfelt thanks, Worthfull1


	60. A New Order

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Part Two! As the saying goes, 'it's always darkest before the dawn', so expect darkness before light here. Even though this is a rather light chapter. Also, come find me on tumblr (worthfull1)!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1

"Right," growled Mad-Eye as the meeting drew to a close. "Everyone is clear on the plan, then? Know what you're doing? Know how you're going to do it? Know what you're going to do when something goes wrong?"

"Your confidence in us is reassuring, Mad-Eye," Sirius said sarcastically, walking past the old Auror to grab a butterbeer.

"It's my job to make sure you jokers are taking this seriously, Black," Moody countered. "I won't apologize for doing my job."

"We are taking this seriously! I, for one, am scared fucking shitless, alright?! That good enough for you?" Sirius snapped, finally losing patience as he sat back down beside Jeannie who rubbed her hand up and down his bouncing knee to calm him. This was the third hour of the meeting and he'd been on edge since 'Dung had suggested this plan and it was likely he would stay on edge until he knew he had Harry safe and sound and - preferably - within his sight.

"Good! I want you scared! And I want you to stay scared! That's the only way any of us are going to stay alive!" Moody barked. "Now, anybody got anything else to say?"

"Yes," Tonks piped up, unable to hold it in any longer. "Just thought you lot would like to know - " she held up her left hand where a small diamond glittered, " - Remus and I got married yesterday!"

Shouts of congratulations and applause followed this and Molly absolutely insisted that they stay for supper so she could make them a cake. It had been a tiny Muggle service in a tiny chapel in northern Scotland with only Sirius and Jeannie (both of whom had made it clear that it would be taken as a personal insult if they weren't invited) and a few patrons of the local pub in attendance as witnesses, but Tonks thought it had been magical just the same. Her new husband laughed at her when she told him that, but she'd kissed him soundly right afterwards and he'd soon forgotten what was so funny.

Since Dumbledore's death, the Order had moved out of Grimmauld because even though Sirius kept the house under blood protections, Dumbledore had been the Secret Keeper and the Fidelius had died with him. After that, Sirius' blood was little insurance, seeing as Bellatrix and Narcissa were close enough relatives that they could break through the blood wards at any time. The meetings had been held at the Burrow, Sirius had essentially moved in with Jeannie and Remus had taken his things to Tonks' flat, with Winky returning to Hogwarts. The little elf had not been thrilled about it, but Sirius had promised to send for her as soon as she was needed and that seemed to calm her down some.

Sirius had been very unhappy that Harry'd had to go back to his Aunt and Uncle one more time, but he understood the need. To make this work, they would need to milk every ounce of protection Lily's blood could afford them, and Harry knew that. It was risky enough deciding to extract him before his seventeenth birthday, but it would be an even bigger risk to do so after. The slim chance that Lily might be able to work two miracles from beyond the grave and in the eleventh hour was enough to whip the Order into quick action. Many were suspicious that their best plan had come from Mundungus, of all people, but nobody had thought of a better one, so Order members had been paired up based on skill, safe houses had been scouted, apparition points plotted and transportation finalized.

Those who could see Thestrals would ride them, others would be on brooms in formation and Harry himself would be recreating his departure from Godric's Hollow all those years ago and riding Sirius' motorbike accompanied by Hagrid. Sirius had wanted to take Harry himself, but Moody nixed that immediately, saying that it would be far too predictable. Sirius argued, but he knew it was true. Instead, he and Jeannie would be on the rear guard, not paired with any of the fake Potters, which would - theoretically - leave them free to provide extra security.

Finally, after going over this one last time - the growls and nasty looks of protest being patently ignored - Moody dismissed his troops, reminding everyone to stay vigilant and watch their backs. Jeannie immediately grabbed her surly Sirius and, saying goodnight to Molly, steered them out of the house and to the apparition point, where Sirius wrapped his arms around her and took them back to her place. Having already been fed by the red-headed mother, they headed straight up to bed.

"Do you have any idea how happy I'm going to be when this is all over?" Sirius asked rhetorically, sitting down on the bed with a groan and taking his boots off.

Jeannie climbed up behind him and began rubbing his shoulders. "Yeah, I have an idea," she answered, feeling the tension in his muscles. He sighed, boot in hand, and leaned back into her. Grey eyes fluttered closed and a contented growl rumbled in his chest. Jeannie smiled to herself. Given her athletic background, she'd always been able to pinpoint just which spot was the most sensitive. She could make him growl, whimper, and swear with very little effort at all and she'd even once found a spot on his side that made his leg twitch. She'd started laughing and Sirius, having not even noticed he'd done it, looked at her and pouted, confused as to where her concentration had gone.

Sirius leaned his head back against her shoulder and settled back, her arms wrapping around his front. She raked her nails lightly up and down his clothed chest. "Easy now," he warned her. Jeannie didn't answer with words, she simply slipped her hand under the hem of his t-shirt and ran her fingers through his treasure trail, the tips of her digits dipping just barely under his belt. "Naughty thing," Sirius admonished, his jeans starting to become tight. "I'm going to have to punish you one of these days."

Jeannie hummed. "Promise?" she purred, flicking her tongue out to trace around the shell of his ear.

The _thud_ of his boot hitting the floor was the only warning Jeannie got before she was suddenly flipped onto her back and pinned down by a strong, hard body whose erection dug into her stomach as she wrapped her legs around his narrow hips. Grinning wickedly at her, Sirius bent down and kissed her, the sort of all-consuming kiss that never failed to make her brain go fuzzy. While she was distracted, he took hold of both her wrists in one hand and used the other to reach for his wand, casting the usual spells and divesting them of clothing instantly.

Jeannie moaned and arched her now-naked body against his, wanting any friction he would allow, and he _did_ allow it for the moment. Keeping hold of her wrists, Sirius rubbed himself against her until he was fully hard and then, simply by angling his hips, he slid into her hot depths. She moaned again as her body welcomed his intrusion and tried to entice him to go faster by bucking her hips up, but he was having none of it. Cocky smirk firmly in place, Sirius sentenced her to sensual torture as he set up a slow, steady thrusting, using her body for his pleasure alone.

"Did you need something, my wicked little witch?" he asked when Jeannie snarled at him.

"I _need_ you to fuck me!" she hissed through gritted teeth, making him chuckle.

"Certainly," he replied. "But you have to take your punishment first."

Jeannie narrowed her eyes and tightened her inner muscles around him but it had no effect, his smirk merely growing as he pulled out of her completely and sat back on his heels. Sirius licked his lips at the picture in front of him. Jeannie, on her back, spread out like a rich dessert, the juncture between her legs swollen and sopping wet... he could practically hear her pussy throb.

"Come on, baby," he said. "On your hands and knees for me."

Her lips parted in a gasp, but she said nothing as she moved herself into the demanded position. Stretching her arms out in front of her, she arched her back , presenting herself to him completely, open and willing for whatever he had in mind. She didn't have to wait long.

_SMACK!_

A cry tore from Jeannie's throat at the surprise of the blow and the sharp sting that followed. She couldn't deny her body's reaction to it, though, as she unconsciously arched further back towards Sirius. He noticed as well and a slightly sinister chuckle escaped as he massaged the sore spot. Watching, fascinated, as her skin flushed pink, he brought his other hand down across her other cheek.

_SMACK!_

"Oh, fuck," Jeannie groaned, fisting her hands in the sheets beneath her. Her inner muscles clenched around nothing and she felt horribly empty. _"Siriussss."_

"Yes, baby?" he asked, his voice calm and steady even as his heart-rate climbed steadily.

_"Fuck me,"_ she pleaded, rocking back and forth on her knees to tempt him.

Sirius gave her three more swats, then shuffled closer, the head of his cock lodging itself just barely inside her. Leaning forward he draped himself over her back while keeping a firm hold on her hip as she tried to impale herself on him. Bringing his mouth to her ear, he whispered, _"Say 'please'."_

Jeannie couldn't even remember what pride was as she began to beg. "Please, Sirius... fuck... baby, please, I need... need you so bad... fuck me please..."

His lip curled. "As you wish."

Sirius took hold of her hips and jerked her back against him as his body snapped forward, hilting himself in her as she screamed, the sound hoarse and desperate. Knowing how close she was and near the brink himself, he pounded her into the mattress, leaving one hand on a hip and the other on the bed next to her head, bracing himself above her.

He watched the knuckles on one of her hands turn white as she gripped the sheets under her and he felt it when her other hand traveled down to play with her clit. Jeannie tightened and bucked, all the while moaning and swearing and Sirius made a mental note to put this little experience in the favourites category. When her cries reached a fever pitch, he felt his body react and without thinking about it, he leaned down and bit her hard on the back of the neck just as she shattered around him.

A cross between a yelp and a scream was torn from her and she thrashed uncontrollably as her inner muscles worked themselves around his cock. Sirius growled into her scruff as he shot his load deep inside her. He was no match for her milking contractions. Finally, the seizures ended and Sirius flung himself onto the bed beside Jeannie so as not to collapse on top of her. Jeannie landed in a heap next to him and curled into his side, nuzzling his neck and running her fingers over his chest.

"Fuck, I needed that," she panted. "That was so good."

Sirius turned his head lazily to look at her. "I didn't hurt you?" he croaked. "I got a bit rough."

"I loved it," she reassured him, lifting herself slightly to kiss him then dropping her head back down on his chest.

"Oh, good. We'll do that again then, shall we?"

She hummed. "Yes, I think so."

* * *

 

"So, when do we get to see your bike, Sirius?" Ginny asked as the animagus walked into the kitchen and poured two glasses of lemonade. He and Remus were putting the finishing touches on Sirius' old motorbike so Hagrid could transport Harry in it and even though it had been sitting in Arthur's shed for over fifteen years, Sirius insisted it would be ready and willing for another adventure.

"You can see it anytime you like, Gin," Sirius answered, taking a long swig from his glass and then refilling it. "Come on," he said, moving over to where the redhead was sitting on the counter. He turned around and stooped slightly, allowing her to clamber up on his back for a piggy-back ride.

"You are going to take me for a ride, aren't you?" she asked, grabbing the lemonade glasses as they headed out the door.

"Of course. You haven't mentioned that to your mother, have you?" Sirius liked his bollocks where they were, thank you very much.

Ginny snorted. "Oh, yes, I told her all about how I was planning on running off with Sirius Black on his Muggle death-trap," she answered sarcastically. "Credit me with some brains, _Snuffles_."

Sirius laughed. He loved Ginny's smart-ass attitude. It was something he could relate to easily. It also reminded him of another redhead he'd known in another lifetime, only Lily had been more... refined with her cutting remarks. Ginny grew up with six brothers and clearly felt no obligation to censor herself, much to the annoyance of her mother, who got on her about her language almost as frequently as she corrected Ron.

"Hey," he said quietly, "wanna help me prank Moony?"

Ginny chuckled. "Sure. What do I have to do?"

"Just go along with whatever I say, alright?"

"Okay."

They reached the motorbike and Sirius leaned down so that Remus could take the glasses of lemonade from Ginny's grasp. "Bad news, Moony," Sirius said casually as he set Ginny down on her own two feet.

"About what?" Remus asked, frowning in concern. Times were dark and bad news even darker. His eyes flickered to the youngest Weasley briefly as though wondering what the news could be that Sirius felt it was okay to discuss in teenage company. Usually bad news was kept within Order members.

"Ginny knows what a filthy pervert you are."

Remus blinked. "Huh?" was his intelligent response. Of all the things Sirius could have said, _that_ was the last thing Remus expected.

"Mm-hmm." Sirius nodded, taking one of the glasses Remus was still holding.

Remus' eyes narrowed as he tried to determine whether Sirius was using code talk for something else, but he couldn't see 'filthy pervert' meaning anything other than what it did. "Rubbish," he finally concluded, opting to adopt an air of indifference, now thinking Sirius was pranking him. "I haven't done anything perverted in years." One of Ginny's eyebrows twitched, but she didn't respond.

Sirius nodded again, as though in agreement. "It's years I'm talking about, Moony. Just under four years, in fact. Perhaps you'll recall - " he ignored Remus' wary expression, " - a dimly lit classroom, a bottle of champagne, a certain acrobat girlfriend of mine..."

Wariness became shock, which quickly morphed into humiliation as Remus spluttered. "And how exactly did _that_ come up in conversation!?" he demanded, his voice nearly an octave higher than normal.

The raven-haired wizard shrugged, nonchalant. "Like anything else does, I expect. What are you so flustered about, Moony? Honestly, you're the only man I know who gets embarrassed about admitting he had sex with a beautiful woman. You probably wouldn't even admit to sleeping with Tonks, would you?"

"Well, I... er... that's not... " Remus took a breath in an attempt to calm himself. It didn't work. "Dora is my wife, I have every right to sleep with her. Jeannie, on the other hand - "

"Was a very mature, level-headed witch who decided to seduce you in your own classroom," Sirius finished. "I know, mate. You told me about it when she first joined the Order, remember?"

"Yes," Remus answered through gritted teeth. "I told you about that in an empty kitchen after the _children_ ," he stressed pointedly, "had gone to bed."

"Oh, get over yourself, Remus," Sirius dismissed, crouching down to grab the spanner he'd been using earlier. "Ginny's not a child. She's almost sixteen and she grew up with six brothers. I'm sure she's heard more deviant things than shagging a witch on the teacher's desk."

"That's not the point!" Remus countered. He opened his mouth to continue the argument, but Ginny couldn't contain herself any longer.

"Wait, this actually happened!?" she asked, her resemblance to Fred and George showing plainly as a look of glee spread across her face.

"Wha - ?" Remus started, then realized what had happened. "You son of a bitch," he growled at Sirius, who grinned back unapologetically.

"You and Jeannie?! On the _desk?!_ Holy shit!" Ginny exclaimed, staring at her ex-professor with something akin to awe. "Wait, was this when she played that concert the year you taught? Holy shit!"

Remus was now beet-red, knowing he'd been had, and refused to meet Ginny's eye or answer her questions, choosing instead to glare at his (possibly former) best friend in silence. It was only when Ginny snapped to attention and started running back to the house, shouting for Hermione, that he tore his gaze away from Sirius.

"No, Ginny!" he shouted at her back. "Not Hermione! Please!"

* * *

 

By the time Molly made it out to the backyard to find out what all the shouting was about and call everyone in for supper, there were two grown men rolling about on her lawn as though they were still teenagers, the black-haired one laughing gleefully as the tall, greying man continued to throw punches even though they were largely ineffective seeing as he had no leverage in the head-lock his opponent had him in.

"What on earth... ?" she muttered to herself. "Sirius Black! Remus Lupin!" Both men's heads snapped up. "What has gotten into the two of you?! Wrestling on the ground like schoolboys! Ridiculous!"

"It's his fault!" they said at the same time.

"It _is_ your fault, you gossiping prick!" Remus insisted, untangling himself from Sirius.

"Oh, lighten up, Moony!" Sirius said, still grinning.

" _Explain_ ," Molly said, hands on her hips as though she were disciplining her own boys.

"This sodding excuse for a wizard - " Remus gestured angrily at Sirius " - decided to reveal to your daughter certain intimate details about me."

Molly's eyes narrowed. "Sirius Black, I hope you have not been introducing my daughter to your particular brand of perversion," she said, her voice deathly quiet.

"It's not _my_ brand of perversion, Molly," Sirius insisted. "It's _his_ ," he said, nodding at Remus.

"It is not!" Remus maintained. "If anything, it's _her_ brand of perversion," he said, looking at Jeannie who'd arrived with Tonks to see what was going on.

Jeannie raised her eyebrows. "What'd I do?" she asked.

"Sirius told Ginny about _us_ ," Remus explained.

"Oh," Jeannie said. "So?"

" _So_ that was none of Ginny's business and Sirius had no right to reveal it," Remus replied hotly.

"Oh, come on. It's not like she wasn't going to find out eventually," Jeannie shrugged. "It's not some big secret, Remus," she said as he made to argue, "and it's certainly not something I'm ashamed of." She looked to Molly. "Don't worry, Molly. Remus and I had a thing a few years ago and now Ginny knows. There was nothing perverted about it and I'm sure Ginny doesn't have any details. Remus is just being a prude because she used to be his student."

Jeannie steered a still-suspicious Molly back to the house while Tonks stayed with the men. She looked at her husband. "So, when are you going to shag _me_ on a desk?" she asked cheekily, breaking out in a grin and making Sirius cackle with laughter.

Remus groaned and fell back on the grass. This was going to be a long evening.


	61. Mad-Eyes And Englishmen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling. This includes any dialogue that may have been in the books. I'm trying very hard not to quote verbatim, but it may occasionally happen. I DO NOT OWN ANY CANON CHARACTERS, SITUATIONS OR DIALOGUE.

Remus winced at the disappointment on Harry's face. Dora had just wiggled her wedding band in front of him and told him about their union and while Harry had seemed genuinely happy about it, Remus could see the young man was a little hurt that he'd not been invited. Couple that with the earlier disappointment of not seeing Sirius in the rescue party and Remus was hoping he'd get the opportunity to apologize to him later. He'd assured Harry that Sirius was, as they spoke, in the sky high above the house with the others keeping watch for them in the rear guard, but he knew it had stung.

"We wanted you at the wedding, Harry - " Remus began, but he was cut off by Moody.

"Enough chit-chat," Mad-Eye groused, brushing past and getting everyone's attention. "There'll be plenty of time to socialize later. We've other things to worry about right now."

Yes, there was a lot to worry about. As expected, Harry was not thrilled with their plan of extraction and it took Hermione forcing the issue by snatching a few hairs off his head to make him go through with it. This didn't surprise Remus. It was classic James Potter. Do your own fighting, don't let anyone get involved and if they try, do whatever you can to keep them out of harm's way. Now, Harry was being faced with six of his nearest and dearest assuming his identity (if only temporarily) to try and get him to a safe location. He knew they were risking their lives and that did not sit well with him.

In the end, though, he had no choice. Still underage, there really wasn't much he could use to argue the point, and he was in the minority. But he made it clear he didn't have to like it. Moody assured him that his complaints would be logged and told him to get his arse in gear and put on the clothes the team had brought with them so they'd all match and hopefully throw any Death Eater welcome party off the trail. Harry's scowl rivaled Moody's, but he did as he was told and within minutes Kingsley was alerting them to the first signal in the sky.

Ten minutes later a second signal flared and they were airborne, quickly flying towards the upper reaches of the wards that had been placed around the property. Remus could hear the wings of the thestrals and the _whoosh_ ing of broomsticks but, above all, he heard the roar of a motorbike's engine. Looking to his right, he watched Hagrid bring the bike up higher, higher, higher - and nearly smiled at Harry clutching at the metal of the sidecar with white knuckles, every so often throwing a worried look at the half-giant. Finally, Remus felt the tingle of the wards and knew they had passed beyond the protective barrier.

And that's when all hell broke loose.

* * *

 

A black shadow sped by Sirius shortly after the second signal sparked in the sky. Looking around, he could just make out other shapes speeding in the same direction and he knew they were blown.

"Oh, fuck," Sirius muttered, flattening himself against his broom and shooting towards the flashing lights.

By the time he arrived, the Order was in a fierce battle with the Death Eaters but it appeared that the Harry decoys were doing their job and the masked menaces did not know where to turn. _Which Harry was the real one?_ They couldn't decide and, because of that, the Order had the upper hand - but just barely. Sirius threw himself into the fray, stunning the first cloak he saw and watching with a perverse pleasure as the figure fell, unaware that the earth was getting closer by the second.

Resisting the desperate urge to fly towards Hagrid and who he knew was the real Harry, Sirius contented himself with dueling anyone in black that flew by. It was pandemonium. Order members and decoy Harrys sped about on various means of magical transportation while masked Death Eaters swarmed each pair. Sirius couldn't see Jeannie or anyone else from the rear guard but that didn't mean anything - he knew they were there somewhere. Cries of shock and shouts of pain filled the air in addition to the crackle of magic and the sound of hexes passing close by.

_"Expelliarmus!"_

The shout echoed in the battle as time stopped. Harry had given himself away, using the same basic defensive spell he'd used in the graveyard, and suddenly a robed figure flew into sight, unaided by broom or thestral. Pale, snake-like features contorted in rage and hatred as Voldemort raised his wand at the rival who'd thwarted him too many times. Sirius abandoned his current opponent, ignoring the last few curses thrown his way and sped toward his godson.

_"Avada Kedavra!"_ came the high-pitched cry and Sirius' shout died on his lips as the jet of green light was swallowed by Hedwig, the beautiful snow-white owl tumbling toward the ground with no more cares.

Harry's anguished shout blended with Voldemort's furious scream, but both were drowned out by the roar of Sirius' motorbike. Hagrid had decided that he'd had enough and, revving the engine to dangerous levels, shouted to Harry to hold on as men and machine barreled into the night. Voldemort went to follow, but Sirius had caught up to him and, adrenaline overriding fear, shot a succession of spells at him.

Voldemort was not thrown off for long and, almost as though deciding that Sirius wasn't worth a Killing Curse, made a violent back-hand motion towards him, knocking the wind from Sirius' lungs and sending him to his death. It was only for a last-minute sticking charm before kicking off on this mission that kept him on his broom. His vision clouded as he spiraled toward the ground and he had to fight to keep the bile down. Stomach lurching, lungs heaving, Sirius wrenched the broom handle up violently, narrowly escaping digging his own grave upon impact.

His toes grazed the grass of a park while his eyes cleared and once he was lucid again, he shot straight back up to the battle, a constant threatening growl rumbling inside him. By the time he resumed the fight, Harry and Hagrid were a speck in the horizon and Voldemort had called back his troops. However, one Death Eater was reluctant to leave. A distinctive cackle met his ears, and Sirius turned to see Jeannie dodge a jet of green light. As he watched, she twisted on her broom and sent a silver jet back, hitting Bellatrix right in the chest.

"Take that, you fucking bitch!" Jeannie shouted as a cloud of fog grew around Bella until she was completely obscured.

"Nice work!" Sirius called as he flew near. They could hear shrieks of rage from inside the fog and jets of light pierce through as Bella tried to make it dissipate. Giving up, the crazed witch flew to the side, but the fog followed. She tried the other way, but if followed her there, too. Sirius laughed loudly, but it was cut off when he had to dodge a hex Bella had thrown towards the sound of his voice.

"You go after Harry!" Jeannie shouted. "I'm going to follow Remus and George!"

"Alright," Sirius called back. "Something happen to them?"

Jeannie nodded. "George was hit. I don't know what it was, but there was a lot of blood. Remus was having a hard time keeping him on the broom."

"Okay. I'll see you later," he promised, holding her gaze for a second longer than was necessary before turning and speeding off in the direction of Andromeda's house.

* * *

 

Sirius arrived at his cousin's house a short time later, not even pausing to grieve for the remains of his bike, which were smouldering in several places of the front lawn. Dismounting his broom, he ran up to the front door, feeling the wards tingle as they let him through. He raised a fist and pounded on the door and within seconds was staring down Andromeda's raised wand.

"Prove it," she said, checking his identity.

Sirius didn't hesitate. "When I was nine, you let me hide in your closet because Bella was chasing me. She'd learned the Slicing hex and wanted to try it out on me because I'd laughed at her new dress robes."

Andromeda dropped her wand and nodded her head towards the kitchen. "Better hurry. Portkey leaves in a few seconds." As they passed the living room, Sirius saw Hagrid sprawled over the sofa with Ted sitting on the coffee table, holding a cold compress on the half-giant's forehead, and raised an eyebrow. "He's a bit shaken," Andy explained. "Once he can travel, I'll send him along. Harry's fine," she added, heading off the next question.

"Sirius!" Harry said, relieved as his godfather walked into the room. Sirius said nothing, he simply walked up to Harry and wrapped one arm around his shoulders while reaching for the portkey. His hand covered Harry's on the little gravy boat that was their transport and, just as it began glowing, he looked back up at his cousin.

"Thanks, Andy," he said and, in a flash of light, they were gone.

* * *

 

They landed hard in the Burrow's garden. As if on cue, several gnomes popped their heads up to see what the fuss was about, but retreated just as quickly when Sirius swore loudly at possibly bruising his backside. He and Harry stood stiffly and dusted the dirt off themselves, then made their way to the house. All the lights were on and a flurry of activity could be seen from the windows.

They let themselves in and were almost bowled over by Molly, who was rushing into the sitting room with several bottles of potions in her arms. Before they could even ask about that, however, Harry was suddenly ripped from Sirius' side and pinned to the wall at wandpoint by a nearly frantic Remus Lupin.

"Remus!" Sirius yelled, startled.

Remus ignored him. "What creature sat in a tank on the corner of the desk the first time Harry Potter was in my office at Hogwarts?" he asked Harry, his voice deep and dangerous.

"Um - ah - er - it - it was a - a - a grindelow!" Harry stammered out, looking outraged at the behaviour of his former professor.

Remus' posture slumped and his face fell back to it's usual placidity. "I'm sorry, Harry," he apologized sincerely. "I had to check. We've been betrayed."

"We know this?" Sirius asked, his hand shooting out to grasp his oldest friend's shoulder.

"It's the only logical explanation, Sirius," Remus answered, shaking his head defeatedly. "How else could they have known it was tonight?"

"What happened to you?" Harry asked, focusing on the dark crimson stains on Lupin's robe.

"Holy shit, Moony," Sirius commented, noticing it as well.

"George lost an ear," Remus replied.

"Lost an... ?" Harry repeated.

Remus nodded. "Snape's work. _Sectumsempra._ His mask fell off during the fight. I wanted to repay the favor, but George was losing a lot of blood. I had to get him back here."

Harry and Sirius both growled. "What about Tonks? Jeannie? Bill? Everyone else?"

"Still coming in," Remus answered. "Jeannie's in with Molly, patching up George. Hermione and Ron are fine, Kingsley's back... still waiting on Dora... " he trailed off, his attention caught by something outside.

Pushing past Sirius and Harry, he rushed out the door to greet the pair who'd just arrived. The two people had barely halted in mid-air before the figure in back flung themselves off the broomstick and into Lupin's waiting arms, leaving the figure in front to dismount on their own. Fred made his way to the house as Tonks slumped against her husband, relief clear in the way her body sagged.

"You'd better go in, mate," Sirius said as Fred approached. The ginger looked at him inquisitively. "George was injured. Your mother's tending to him now."

Fred's already worried expression deepened. "Bad?" he asked.

"I haven't seen him. Remus said he lost a fair amount of blood, though," Sirius answered and Fred nodded and went inside just as Bill and Fleur touched down. Bill helped his wife off the broom and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. As they neared, Harry could tell Fleur was crying. Sirius checked their identities and asked what had happened.

Bill took a deep breath. "Mad-Eye's dead," he said quietly. "We saw it. Voldemort did it himself. Mundungus disapparated the second Voldemort came into view and... " he paused as Fleur let out a throaty sob. "Mad-Eye took it right in the face. There was nothing we could do."

"Fuck!" Sirius swore savagely, but quietly. He knew Remus' hearing would have picked up their conversation, but he really didn't want to be the one to tell Tonks that her mentor had been killed. He sighed. "Alright, Bill. Why don't you two go inside. Harry, you too." He and Harry shared a look and Harry followed Bill and Fleur into the house while Sirius prepared himself for telling Remus about Mad-Eye. He slowly approached the still-embracing couple.

"Moony," he said quietly. "I need a word, mate." Remus disentangled himself from Tonks and moved just slightly out of hearing. "Are you going to tell her?" Sirius asked.

Remus nodded and sighed heavily. "Yeah. You go on in. We'll follow in a minute."

Sirius went back to the house, but he didn't get inside quick enough. An anguished wail met his ears as he crossed the threshold and he grimaced. Like all men, Sirius hated hearing or seeing a woman cry. It felt like a beater's bat to the bollocks to him and he could only imagine the gut-twisting agony Remus was in at that very moment, having to be the one to deliver the reason for the crying. Walking into the Burrow's living room was no better as one look at the faces told him Bill had informed them of the Order's loss.

Fleur was still sniffling into a handkerchief while Bill rubbed her back soothingly, Hermione was crying silently on Harry's shoulder while Ron looked on, a mixture of pain and jealousy on his face. Molly's face was blotchy and her eyes red-rimmed from the injury to her son and the loss of their comrade, but Jeannie tore a new hole in Sirius' chest. She'd gone completely still, the only indication of life were the tears leaking down her face. They clung to her eyelashes and dripped from her chin. He walked up to her and gently brushed them away, cupping her face and mouthing _'I'm sorry, baby'_. Arthur was the first to speak.

"What about his body?" he asked as gently as possible.

"I want to go look for it," Bill answered.

"I'll go with you," Remus piped up from the doorway. Tonks' head snapped up from where it had been buried in the crook of his shoulder, begging him with her eyes to be careful. He smiled sadly at her and kissed the top of her head. She leaned into his lips and closed her swollen, blood-shot eyes.

"I'll go, too," Sirius volunteered, his eyes still on Jeannie.

"No," Remus said. Sirius turned to look at him. "Stay. Please," he added, his gaze flickering down to Tonks. He wanted Sirius there to look after his Dora while he was away. "We won't be long," he directed at her. Tonks buried her face in his chest once more, inhaling his scent, and stepped away, allowing him to leave with Bill.

Jeannie stepped around Sirius and went up to Tonks. The two women wrapped their arms around each other and buried their faces in the other's necks to stifle the sound of their sobs. Sirius sighed and his shoulder's sagged as he turned to Molly. Squeezing her shoulder in one hand, he gently pried the cold compress away from her with the other and told her to go wash up, that he would finish dabbing the blood away from George's face and neck. She nodded and stood, her movements jerky, and Arthur followed her out of the room.

* * *

 

Spying Remus standing in the corner, watching his wife sag in grief across the room with her head on Jeannie's shoulder, Sirius made his way over, handing Remus a tumbler of firewhiskey. It had been a trying evening for all involved and he knew his old friend would not be resting anytime soon. The loss of her mentor was clearly hitting Tonks hard and Remus would, in all likelihood, be spending the rest of his night comforting her. Of course, they hadn't been able to find Mad-Eye's body and the knowledge that they couldn't even have a proper burial for him had set off another round of sorrow.

"Something's off," Remus muttered, only loud enough for Sirius' heightened hearing. He was staring into the amber liquid with a worried frown on his face.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked. "You're going to have to be more specific, mate. Something's been off for a long time with a lot of things."

Remus shook his head. "Dora. Something's off with her. I - I'm sensing something and I can't place it."

Sirius' brow furrowed. "Has she been in to see someone?"

"No, of course not," Remus sighed impatiently. "I've tried to get her to see a Healer, but she thinks I'm overreacting."

Sirius paused. "Are you?" he asked gently, knowing how protective Remus had become of Tonks.

Remus took a deep breath and thought about it before answering. "No," he decided. "I'm not. Something's off. She's been throwing up a lot recently and she slept nearly twelve hours the last day she had off work. She keeps telling me it's just a bug going around, but I know that's not it."

"Alright," Sirius nodded. "I'll say something to Jeannie. Maybe she can convince her to get checked out."

"Thanks." Remus threw him a half-smile.

"Harry doesn't think anyone betrayed us," Sirius threw out a few moments later.

Remus snorted quietly and rolled his eyes. "Of course he doesn't. He's James' son, isn't he?" He shook his head. "If James had been in the Shrieking Shack with us when you cornered Peter, it wouldn't have surprised me to see him argue with Peter about betraying him."

Sirius laughed quietly despite the horror of the statement. He could see that, too. "Yeah, well, if someone did give us away, my money's on 'Dung. And now there's no Dumbledore to stop me from killing him," he said, remembering his desire to end Mundungus' life the night Harry was attacked by Dementors with his cousin when 'Dung was supposed to be on watch. Dumbledore had pulled rank and forbidden it, but the urge never really went away.

Remus fixed him with a hard look. "If you find proof," he said, his voice so quiet it took Padfoot's hearing to catch it, "I want to be there." Sirius held his eye and nodded and the two men were silent for a few minutes until Bill stood up in the middle of the living room and raised his glass, getting everyone's attention.

"Mad-Eye," he said clearly. The toast echoed around the room as they all raised their drinks to the fallen warrior.

Shortly afterwards, Remus gathered up Tonks and took her home. Bill and Fleur left as well after Bill checked on George one more time, but Sirius wasn't going anywhere. He'd already asked Arthur if he could stay at the Burrow and the ginger patriarch had agreed, knowing Sirius would feel better staying under the same roof as Harry so, after everyone had said their goodbyes and goodnights, he transformed and curled up on the rug in front of the fire.


	62. Something Old, Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick thanks to everyone still reading for your patience and support! It means the world to me :) Also, big thanks to everyone who read and reviewed Black Is Blue, my Sirius one-shot. Getting those reviews in my inbox made my day!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

Something had woken Sirius. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but Padfoot's senses were suddenly on high alert. Opening his canine eyes, he blinked at the orange of the firelight in front of him and lifted his head. An ear twitched and he looked towards the stairs. There, dressed in dark traveling clothes, with a rucksack on his back, was his godson, stealing quietly down the staircase.

Padfoot huffed and Harry's head whipped around, startled. Grey eyes met green and a staring contest ensued until Harry shook his head and headed for the door. Transforming instantly, Sirius was on two feet and within seconds was by Harry's side just as he stepped onto the Weasley's lawn.

"So, where are we headed?" he asked conversationally, stepping into stride with the young man.

"I'm leaving, Sirius," Harry answered, his voice curt.

"Clearly. Where to, mate?"

" _Alone_ , Sirius."

"Like hell."

Harry rounded on him. "Me staying here endangers _them_!" he said hotly, pointing to the house. "I'm not okay with that! So I'm leaving! Nobody else is going to die because of me, alright?"

" _'Because of you'_? That's a bit conceited, mate, don't you think? And what about Hermione and Ron? Leaving them, too?"

Harry looked away. "I have to. I don't have a choice."

"Oh, good. I'd hate to think I was the only one being left out of the fun."

"This isn't about you, Sirius!"

"It's not about you, either!" Sirius countered. "This isn't the war between Voldemort and Harry! We're fighting for our entire world! Do you really think that everything would be fine if Voldemort killed you tomorrow? That he would be satisfied with that? That he wouldn't come after each and every one of us that ever resisted him, whether or not we had anything to do with you?"

"That's not the point - "

"It _is_ the point! The Order was formed long before you were even thought of, Harry. Some of us had targets on our backs before we even left school. The only thing we could do was join the resistance and fight. And some of us died. Did those deaths have anything to do with you? Of course not!" Sirius gripped Harry's shoulders and forced the young man to look at him. "The prophecy doesn't mean anything, Harry," he said slowly, watching Harry's eyes widen.

Harry was caught off guard briefly. He wasn't aware that Sirius knew what the prophecy said. Instead of making him stop and consider things, though, it just showed him that things were still being kept from him. Here was one more thing he hadn't been told, hadn't been let in on. He was sick and tired of having his own life shielded from him and, clearly, if he wanted to do what he knew he needed to do, he had to leave. Harry let out a growl and threw Sirius' hands off him, filled with a rage and determination he didn't fully understand.

"I'm not letting you leave, Harry," Sirius warned, watching the young man walk away from him.

Harry said nothing, he simply picked up the pace. Sirius snarled and closed the distance between them only to find himself with a wand directed right between his eyes. Harry was a quick draw, and that was good, but he clearly lacked real-life duel experience despite his many brushes with death. With hardly any effort at all, Sirius shoved Harry's wand arm away, wrapped his arm around Harry's waist and dropped him to the ground. Harry grunted in surprise and the force of the impact but once he realized he wasn't injured, he leaped back up and assumed the same position. Sirius rolled his eyes and dropped him again.

"Never pull your wand like that unless you intend to use it, Harry. It's far too easy to take you down that way. Never bluff with a wand. If you're going to duel someone, keep your wand close until you think you know what your opponent is going to do. I could have taken your wand from you twice now and if I was a Death Eater, you'd be dead," Sirius stated categorically, turning this spat into a training lesson. He was suddenly painfully aware of the fact that he had skills Harry needed to learn and he hadn't done a thing to teach him. James would not be pleased.

Harry got to his feet again, keeping his wand close as instructed, and eyed Sirius warily.

Sirius scoffed. "Put it away, Harry," he said. "We both know you're not going to use it on me. This is your third chance to hex me and you're not even thinking about a spell."

Harry holstered his wand, knowing Sirius was right. He wanted to leave, but he didn't want to hex Sirius to do it. Especially when he knew Sirius was unarmed. He'd seen the older man's wand on the coffee table and knew Sirius hadn't grabbed it before following him. He also didn't want the Ministry to trace his underage wand use to the Burrow. Readjusting his rucksack, he tried a different tack and sprinted away. Unfortunately for him, Sirius' legs were longer and within seconds Harry found himself once again tackled to the ground.

Now, though, he was thoroughly pissed off. Why couldn't Sirius see this was best for everyone? He was trying to protect his loved ones! Why couldn't Sirius just _let him leave?!_ He struggled against the arms around him and when they wouldn't give, he elbowed Sirius in the ribs. A grunt of pain met his ears and Sirius' hold loosened just enough for Harry to pull away. Sirius grabbed at him again, pulling him down by his rucksack, but Harry let it go, deciding that getting away was more important than anything he had in the bag.

Sirius flung the rucksack to the side and grabbed for Harry, catching him by the belt and bringing him down. A scuffle ensued and Sirius cursed himself for leaving his wand inside. It would have been infinitely easier to simply stun Harry. The young man was an expert at slipping out of a firm hold and the last thing Sirius wanted to do was hurt him.

The same could no longer be said for Harry, though. With every second he became more desperate and more violent and he started putting some weight behind his punches and kicks. Years of fighting off Dudley and his friends had taught him how to fight his way out and even though Sirius was older and bigger than him, Harry was making it a real contest.

The two rolled around on the ground for what felt like ages, Sirius forever trying to pin the constantly squirming Harry down long enough to make him surrender and see sense, but it was futile. Both were equally determined - Sirius to keep him there and Harry to get away. The scuffle continued to escalate and both men were quickly losing their tempers.

"Dammit, Harry... " after another failed hold...

"Let me _go_... " another jab in the gut...

"You're not going anywhere... "

" _Yes_ , I am... "

"Not on my watch... "

"Sirius... _mmph!_ "

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!" Harry let out a shout and twisted sharply, freeing himself once more from his godfather's grip. He sprinted towards the edge of the wards where he knew the apparition point lay just beyond, the pounding in his ears drowning out the sound of the footsteps behind him.

Adrenaline pumping, Sirius followed hot on Harry's heels. He knew instinctively that Harry would actually leave if he could get past the wards and without even consciously making the decision, Sirius knew he had to take drastic action. He reached out as far as his arm let him, grabbed his godson by the shoulder, spun him around and clocked him, knocking him out cold.

Sirius hunched over, panting, bracing his hands on his knees and grimacing down at the limp form of the boy-turned-man that he was still responsible for, legally for a few more days, actually for the rest of his life. He immediately regretted hitting Harry and, despite knowing that it was the only logical course of action at the time, could already feel the guilt seeping into his bones. Grabbing one of Harry's arms, Sirius pulled him up, slung him over his shoulder and turned back to the house only to find Ron standing in the door.

"Where's everybody else?" Sirius asked, fully expecting to have the entire Weasley clan bear down upon him.

"Still in bed, I expect," Ron shrugged. "I threw up a silencing charm when things started going downhill."

Sirius nodded. "He was trying to leave," he said, half in explanation, half in defense of himself.

"I know," Ron said quietly. "I heard." He opened his mouth as though he was going to say something more, but thought better of it. "Come on, let's get him back in bed before Mum comes checking on everyone. She's got a sixth sense about her children being out of bed. Always seems to know when we're not sleeping... " he trailed off as he headed back inside, summoning Harry's rucksack as he did so.

They got Harry tucked back in, Sirius taking extra care to remove his shoes and brush the hair from his face, and Ron said he'd put up a mild ward when Sirius left just to make sure Harry didn't try another break. Sirius was silent the whole time, the scuffle gnawing at him, twisting his gut. He closed the bedroom door behind him and felt a slight tingle as Ron's barrier took effect, then trudged back downstairs.

Several hours later, Hermione found him sitting on the steps outside the kitchen door. Ron had told her what happened and after smacking Harry for his stupidity, she went downstairs for breakfast. Pouring cups of coffee for them both, she went outside and sat down next to him. No shoes, no shirt, bits of grass in his hair and patches of dirt front and back further smudging faded lines of ink and purpling bruises, Sirius had clearly been sitting there since the fight. He blinked as she held out a mug.

"Morning, kitten," he greeted, his voice low and somber as he wrapped long, tattooed fingers around the cup of steaming caffeine.

"He's not mad at you, you know," she said.

"He should be. I shouldn't have hit him."

"Harry's not a child, Sirius. From what Ron told me, you didn't really have a choice."

"Doesn't matter. He's still a kid. _My_ kid. You don't hit your kids," he added, hit tone packed with meaning that made Hermione suspect Sirius' parents hadn't been ones to spare the rod. She wasn't surprised.

"You should go talk to him," she said. He sighed heavily and nodded. "But, maybe clean up a little first," she teased, picking a few bits of grass from his hair.

* * *

 

Sirius knocked on the door to the bedroom Harry was sharing with Ron and, at his godson's invitation, stepped inside. Still thoroughly disgusted with himself, he couldn't bring himself to look at Harry, so it was a real shock when the young man spoke. The words he used hit Sirius even harder.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, causing Sirius' gaze to snap to his.

_"What?!"_ the animagus gaped incredulously. " _You're_ sorry? Are you _insane?!_ "

Harry hummed. "Apparently, according to Hermione."

"No, no, no, no, no," Sirius stammered, moving into the room and sitting on the bed, facing Harry, whose back was against the headboard. "Harry, I hit you. _I'm_ the one that needs to apologize, _not_ you." He needed Harry to be mad at him, to rage and throw things, maybe even hex him - not this passive _'oh, well, we both screwed up last night'_. "I am so very, _very_ sorry about that. I panicked and you were so close to the wards and I'd left my wand inside... I had to get you to stay, but I should _not_ have hit you."

Harry was quiet for a minute. "Sirius, if you'd had your wand, would you have stunned me?"

"Yes," Sirius answered, not sure where Harry was taking this.

"How is that any different?" Sirius frowned and Harry continued. "I mean, either way you'd be using force to stop me from doing what I'd set out to do, however stupid I was being. Knocking me out with your hand or your wand is the same thing. And I'm glad you did it," he added.

Sirius hung his head. "Ahh, Harry," he exhaled heavily. "If... if that's how you want to look at it, then I won't argue with you about it." He looked up and locked eyes with the young man. "But hitting you was wrong. I am _so_ sorry. Hermione's right - you're not a child anymore, but you're still my kid... and hitting your kids is wrong." Sirius paused. "And I really wish you'd hex me for it."

"That's not going to happen," Harry said with a snort. "I forgive you, for what it's worth."

"It's worth the world, Harry," Sirius breathed earnestly.

Harry sighed. "Sirius... there is something else I need to talk to you about."

"Anything."

"Hermione, Ron and I... well, we're leaving." He looked up to gauge Sirius' reaction. An eyebrow cocked. "I... there's something I have to do... those lessons Dumbledore was giving me all last year? He was preparing me for something." Sirius stared at him. "The thing is... I can't tell you about it. I can't tell you what I'm doing, I can't tell you where we're going... I just... I need you to trust me on this."

Sirius sat so still Harry wondered if he'd gone into shock. "So," he said finally, "you're leaving?" Harry nodded. "On a mission from Dumbledore?" Another nod. "Mm-hmm. Does this have anything to do with what the old bastard left you in his will?"

Harry blinked. "Er... I'm not sure, really," he admitted. "We haven't figured all that out yet. You should know as well as anyone Dumbledore never just came out and said anything. It's always gotta be a puzzle." Sirius rolled his eyes at that. "But... the point is that we have to leave."

Sirius huffed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "And - what? I'm just supposed to let you go? Just like that?" He stood and began pacing.

"No, I figured you'd put up a bit of a fight," Harry said, sounding slightly amused.

"Well, you figured right!"

"I didn't have to tell you, you know." He smirked when Sirius glared at him. "We could have just left without saying anything," he continued.

"Shit, you would, too, wouldn't you?" Sirius grumbled rhetorically. " _Why_ can't you tell me anything?"

Harry grimaced. "Well, I can't really tell you that, either."

"Fuck's sake, Harry!"

"I'm sorry, Sirius, but I have a part to play in this war just like you do!" Harry retorted, standing. "This isn't the war between _Sirius_ and Voldemort, either," he added, throwing Sirius' words from the previous night back at him. "You can't fight my battles for me anymore, Sirius. This is something I have to do. Something I need to do. I didn't even want Hermione and Ron to come along, but... "

Sirius stopped pacing. "That's why you were trying to leave." It wasn't a question.

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

Sirius pursed his lips. "You'll keep the mirror on you?"

"Yes."

"At _all_ times?"

"Yes."

"And the Cloak?"

"Yes."

"You'll contact me when you need me. I don't care when, I don't care where you are. If you're in trouble, _use that mirror!_ "

"I will, Sirius."

"You have a plan, don't you?" Sirius asked quietly.

"I have... I know what needs to be done," Harry answered honestly.

"And it's... it's important? Only you can do it?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. I think... I think I've known it all along," Harry said.

"I don't know what that means, Harry, but... I trust you, I guess," Sirius relented begrudgingly before a chilling thought came to him. He eyed Harry shrewdly. "Have you told Molly about this?"

Harry didn't answer and didn't meet his eye and Sirius groaned.

_"Fuuuuuck."_

* * *

 

"Dora, please go see a healer."

Tonks sighed and looked at her husband, unable to suppress a fond smile. He'd been badgering her for a week now about making an appointment with a healer and she'd resisted so far, but seeing him now, with his head hung down and looking sideways at her through his shaggy fringe as though he were a schoolboy asking a favor from a teacher, she felt her stubbornness fail her.

"Alright," she acquiesced. "I'll make an appointment in the morning."

Remus pushed himself off the door frame to the bedroom of Tonks' flat and walked over to her, seated at her chaotically messy desk, where he smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "Thank you," he said. "You can get your yearly check-up at the same time. Hasn't Kingsley been on you at the office about that?"

Tonks groaned. "Yes," she grumbled. "I hate physicals. They make you pee in cups. It's undignified."

Remus chuckled at her pout. "I agree. But you have to have it done, don't you? It's regulation."

She whined. "Yes. And I'm already six weeks late for it. Should have gone in just before Dumbledore died but my morphing was so shit I was afraid they'd put me on light duty."

"Well, you'll get it all sorted tomorrow," Remus said reassuringly, sounding much happier and squeezing her shoulder before leaving her to finish her paperwork.

Sighing, Tonks returned to the parchment in front of her, but froze, allowing the quill to leave a large blot of ink on her report.

_Late._

She was late for her physical, but she was also nearly a month late for... No, she shook her head. She couldn't be pregnant. She'd taken her potion. Shaking herself, she went back to work only to stop again. No, she hadn't taken her potion this month. St. Mungo's provided her yearly supply of contraception when she went in for her physical and she hadn't gone in yet. Her last potion had stopped working weeks ago.

_"Ooohhhh,"_ she breathed, dropping her quill on the desk and burying her head in her hands. Tonks took a few deep breaths to steady herself. There was no use worrying about that right now. She'd promised Remus she'd make an appointment in the morning. She'd know then.

"Dora, darling?" Remus' voice called from the hallway and Tonks jumped violently, up-ending her ink well, just as her husband poked his head around the door. "I've made some tea- " he frowned at her slightly pale face. "Are you alright?" he asked, crossing the room quickly and pulling out his wand to begin siphoning up the ink.

"Yes!" Tonks squeaked, then cleared her throat. "Yes, Remus. Just fine. You sneaked up on me, is all." She gave a half-smile. "Can't do that to a klutz, you know. Bad for our health."

Remus chuckled, appearing to have accepted her reply. "Sorry about that. I'll make a mental note to stamp my feet as I approach, how's that?" he teased and she hummed her approval. "I've made tea. Would you like some?"

"Yes, please. Er - no firewhiskey, though."

"No?" he asked, knowing she usually liked just a nip on nights when she worked late.

"No. I'm going to finish this one last report and then I want to go to bed." Tonks gave just a slight pout, knowing it was a bit manipulative. Remus could never resist her when she pouted and whereas she had wanted to work late into the night, she found she couldn't concentrate like she'd done just minutes before.

Remus smiled at her - that warm, loving, adoring smile that meant he was going to pamper her as much as she'd let him. "Of course, my love. You work too hard, anyway. You need your rest. Finish that report and I'll bring the tea in here and you can get into your pyjamas and I'll rub your feet. Sound good?"

She grinned back at him. "Very."

* * *

 

A couple of weeks later Remus and Tonks arrived at the Burrow for Bill and Fleur's wedding. There seemed to be a glow about Tonks that everyone noticed and commented on, _not_ noticing how her husband cringed every single time. Sirius and Jeannie noticed, though. They noticed how healthy and happy the currently ginger witch (she wanted to match with the Weasleys) looked, and they also noticed how her husband looked as though he'd stuck his head in the guillotine. Or, perhaps Remus looked as though he desperately _wanted_ to stick his head in the guillotine.

Whichever was the case, Sirius and Jeannie both vowed to have a chat with their best friends as soon as possible.

That would have to wait, however, as the drinking and dancing and wedding speeches and congratulations were suddenly brought to a halt by a slivery form gliding into the center of the gathering. It was a lynx, and it's short tail and tufted ears twitched as it opened it's mouth, Kingsley's voice reverberating around the tent.

_The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming._


	63. Questions And Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to MsSalvatore1864 for your comments!! :)

_The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming._

It was pandemonium. There was screaming, running, glass shattering, pushing, pulling... the tent nearly came down at one point during the exodus. Guests sped towards the apparition points, vanishing in a swish of finely-tailored dress robes while at the same time wizards in Auror robes and DMLE badges appeared in their midst, erecting their own barriers and wards to try and contain as many as possible.

"Shit!" Sirius swore. "Shit shit shit!"

"What's shit?!" Remus demanded, his head swiveling around the crowd, keeping an eye on all the newcomers while maintaining a firm grip on Tonks, who was shielded behind him.

"Harry left!" Sirius hissed.

"You told me they were planning on leaving."

"Yes, but I was going to try and tag along, wasn't I? Hermione apparated them out so fast, I've no idea where they are now!" Sirius fumed.

"Yeah, well, if they're not here, then they're probably safe," Tonks reasoned. "Any where's safer than here right now," she said, eyeing one wizard in particular.

"Who's that?" Jeannie asked, following her eyesight.

"Robards. Kingsley and I think he's been under the Imperius for months now."

"EVERYONE STAY EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE," the wizard in question ordered after performing a Sonorus on himself. "WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE FUGITIVE HARRY POTTER - "

" _'Fugitive'_ ," Sirius mocked under his breath.

" - AND WE WILL BE SEARCHING THE PREMISES. PLEASE KNOW THAT ANYONE WHO INTERFERES WITH OUR SEARCH WILL BE ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. IN ADDITION TO THE SEARCH, WE WILL BE QUESTIONING SOME OF YOU AS TO THE WHEREABOUTS OF POTTER AND HIS ASSOCIATE, THE MUGGLE-BORN HERMIONE GRANGER. YOUR COOPERATION IN THIS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED."

"What do they want Hermione for?" Tonks wondered quietly, watching several DMLE personnel fan out, some making a round of the property while others entered the house.

Sirius shook his head sadly. He'd seen this before. "Rounding up Muggle-borns," he lamented. "Sound familiar, Moony?"

Remus nodded grimly as they watched other Ministry representatives begin making their way through the crowd. "Yeah. It's starting. Quicker than before."

"What's starting?" Tonks asked him.

"War, Dora," he said, looking her in the eye. "Actual, declared war. Out in the open. You heard Kingsley's Patronus - they've murdered the Minister. Next they'll start rounding up the Muggle-borns, attacking Squibs, caging the magical Creatures..." his gaze traveled to a DMLE wizard heading their way. "This is war."

Tonks shivered at the tone of his voice. Low, serious, full of pain and bad memories. This wasn't the Remus she knew, the Remus she married. This was an entirely different person and she'd been getting glimpses of it since she'd told him she was pregnant. Oh, he'd said the right things and held her and kissed her passionately, but she could tell he hadn't been happy about it and she didn't understand why. This was a good thing, a _happy_ thing... why was he acting as though he'd done something rotten and shameful?

"Mr. Black," came a voice just behind her right shoulder causing her to start and cry out. "Got a few questions for you." The wizard was dressed in DMLE robes, but Tonks didn't recognize him. "When did you last see Harry Potter?"

"Dumbledore's funeral," Sirius lied casually, "just before the end of term."

"You haven't seen him since then?"

"No."

"You're his godfather, yes?"

"That's correct."

"Potter does not live with you?"

"He does not."

"So you haven't seen him for weeks now?"

"Like I said, not since Dumbledore's funeral - "

"Michaels!" Robards shouted from across the yard. The wizard interrogating Sirius turned. "Bring Black over here!"

"Mr. Black, if you please," Michaels gestured for Sirius to walk over to Robards.

As Sirius made his way over to the man clearly in charge of the proceedings, Tonks, Jeannie and Remus could see other Ministry personnel interviewing various members of the Weasley and Delacour families, with varying degrees of patience and politeness. Molly was already in tears (again) and Arthur was getting redder and redder in the face by the second as he answered the same questions over and over while rubbing his wife's back as soothingly as possible with a clenched fist.

Bill and Fleur were being questioned by a DMLE worker that Tonks knew by sight, but not by name and it was clear that the veela temper was close to having had enough. Fred and George looked like they were actually having a decent time, but only because they'd teamed up on one poor Auror whom Remus almost felt a bit sorry for. The Auror kept whipping his head back and forth as though watching an intense tennis match as the twins made him think twice about his vocation.

But the final tipping point was not the twins, or Arthur or even Sirius.

"Non! I 'ave not seen 'Arry Pottair!" cried a fed-up French cousin, followed by an indignant toss of golden hair and a fierce stomp in the opposite direction. "Barbare Anglais! Il ne sait pas qui je sui?! Mon père va entendre À propos de sas! _(English barbarian! Does he not know who I am? My father will hear about this!)_ " she continued, huffing over to two other girls that had also been in Fleur's wedding party. Rapid-fire French ensued, with the British Aurors left shrugging their shoulders and frowning.

Things were heating up in Sirius' area as well. Robards clearly did not feel an obligation to be as polite as Michaels had and Sirius was quickly reaching his breaking point. The two men stood toe-to-toe on the grass, neither giving an inch. They were about the same height, but Robards was considerably broader than Sirius and seemed to be taking it as a personal offense that his aggressive stance was not only being ignored, but directly challenged.

"I know you've seen Potter, Black!"

"What you know could fit on the head of a pin!"

"You've been in contact with him!"

"Prove it!"

"I don't need to do that, Black," Robards sneered, a sick smile on his lips. "All I need is suspicion. I suspect you know where Harry Potter is and I suspect you're deliberately keeping that information from me. That's all the reason I need to arrest you and send you back to your cozy little cell by the sea. You remember Azkaban, don't you? I'm sure the Dementors would love to catch up with you."

Sirius' expression turned murderous. "You try that and I'll kill you," he said quietly, but clearly - clear enough that everyone within earshot heard it perfectly and believed it.

Robards' grin grew. "Is that a threat, Black?"

"It's a promise."

"Very brave of you - threatening an Auror. I could take you in for that, too. Going to tell me where Potter is now?"

"I'm going to tell you to go fuck yourself."

"Right!" Robards said. "I've heard enough! Sirius Black, I am arresting you on the charges of obstruction and threatening an Auror - " Sirius reached for his wand as Robards pulled out magical handcuffs, but before a duel broke out they were interrupted.

"Excuse me!" M. Delacour called, waving his arm at Robards. "Auror Robards! Could I 'ave a word?" "Now really isn't the best time, _sir_ ," Robards answered through clenched teeth, eyes still on Sirius.

"Apologies," Delacour said, "but I jus' thought I would mention 'ow many guests are 'ere at the moment."

"I am not concerned with guests," the Auror replied.

"Of course, of course... but your government may be," Delacour said smoothly.

Robards paused. "My government?"

"Oui. Particularly the Department of International Magical Cooperation," Delacour said. "Also, per'aps the Department of Magical Transportation. Most of us came by special Portkey, you know. Then there is _our_ government, of course. Our Ministry may be very concerned with... guests."

Monsieur Delacour spoke calmly and politely, but there was no mistaking his intent. The Delacour family was well known in French Ministry circles and he would not hesitate to make this an international incident if need be. He knew a bit about what was going on with the British government and he knew it was not the sort of thing they would want plastered all over the newspapers.

Robards seethed before stashing the handcuffs back in his robes with a huff. "Alright," he said tightly. "Weasley! See to your guests! We'll return at a more... advantageous time." He sent a signal to the DMLE people in the house as well as those out of earshot. "Make no mistake, though," he said to Arthur. "We _will_ return."

* * *

 

A week after Bill and Fleur's wedding and Sirius had still not heard from Harry.

A _week_.

The only good thing was that he hadn't heard about Harry's capture. And he _would_ have heard. That much he was sure about. The new regime at the Ministry would surely shout it from the rafters if they had managed to get a hold of Harry Potter. So no news was definitely good news.

Right?

With a growl, Sirius balled up the Daily Prophet he'd been reading and threw it into Jeannie's fireplace. A whole fucking week! Where the fuck were they?! Why hadn't Harry used the mirror? Or an owl? Or the floo? Or a patronus? Or _just fucking anything_?

His mood was still as black as his name a few minutes later when someone did call through the floo.

"Jeannie! Jeannie!" Tonks' shrill yell startled him so badly he fell off his chair. With a grunt and a curse he pulled himself back up and rushed over to the mousy-haired head in the green flames. There were tear tracks down her cheeks and her eyes were red and puffy.

"Tonks, what's wrong? What's happened?" he asked urgently.

"Sirius, I'm going crazy! I don't know what to do. I feel like shit and I've been puking all morning and there's no tea and I don't know where Remus is. I haven't heard from him in days and he said he'd be back soon and ... "

"Whoa, whoa! Hang on!" Sirius said, cutting off her nonsensical rambling. "Go sit down. I'm coming through." Tonks' head disappeared and Sirius quickly followed it to her flat.

As he came through he saw Tonks pacing the small living room, barefoot and disheveled. Taking her by the shoulders, he steered her to the sofa and sat her down, then went into the kitchen. It was a disaster area. The things that usually lived in the pantry were scattered over the counter, the cabinets were in disarray and the cooling cabinet was nearly empty. And she'd been right - there was no tea.

Pulling out his wand, Sirius sent a Patronus to Jeannie who was at the Burrow visiting with Molly. _'Get to Tonks' flat now. Bring everything needed to make tea.'_ Then he went back to the living room and regarded his baby cousin. Something was very wrong. Tonks sat in the exact spot Sirius had put her with her arms wrapped around herself and her head down, rocking herself back and forth. Sirius knelt in front of her.

"Tonks, honey, tell me what's going on," he said gently.

"Remus left," she croaked. "Days ago. Said he'd be back, but... I don't know where he is. I don't think he's coming back," she sobbed.

"Okay. Why did he leave? Did you row?" Sirius soothed his hands up and down her arms, feeling her entire body tremble. She sniffed and opened her mouth a couple times before being able to make any sound.

"I'm pregnant," she breathed. Sirius' eyebrows shot up.

"Tonks, that's wonderful! Congratulations!"

"Not congratulations," she countered. "I'm pregnant and I'm scared and this is the worst time in the world to have a baby and I've been puking and my feet are swollen and I can't morph properly and Remus left! He FUCKING LEFT!" she shouted. "I can't do this on my own," she whispered, balling her fists in her eyes and rocking again.

Sirius sighed and put his arms around her just as Jeannie came through the floo. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Make us some tea, will you, baby?" Sirius answered, running his hands soothingly up and down Tonks' back. "I'll find him," he said to Tonks. "I promise you, I'll find him, okay? Jeannie'll stay here with you and you two can talk and cry and eat ice cream and complain about us men and do all the other things girls do and I will go out and find Remus and drag his sorry arse back here."

Jeannie came back in carrying a tray with tea and some of Molly's blueberry muffins and set it down on the coffee table after clearing away the mountains of tissues and dirty tea cups. She looked at Sirius and raised an eyebrow.

"I have to go find Remus," he said. "I want you to stay here while I'm gone. Tonks isn't feeling too good and she needs company."

"Okay," Jeannie nodded. "Will you stay with her for a bit while I go over to our place and get some food and things?"

Sirius nodded and five minutes later when Jeannie returned, he said goodbye to the girls and headed out on his quest. First he checked all the usual hangouts. Tom at the Leaky had not seen Remus and the Weasley twins told Sirius they hadn't seen him in Diagon Alley. Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks said that he'd been in the day before but left right after lunch and nobody else in Hogsmeade had seen him.

The Shrieking Shack was deserted, but it smelled to Sirius as though someone had slept in the building recently. There was no trace of bedding, though, and the fireplace was cold. Sirius didn't bother inquiring at the school. There would be no reason for Remus to go there, especially since the traitorous Snape had appointed himself Headmaster. The greasy git would surely kill Remus on sight if he dared to step foot on castle grounds.

After Diagon and Hogsmeade, Sirius wasn't quite sure where to try next. He knew Remus hadn't had any Order business recently, so he certainly wasn't on a mission and if Tonks had told him about the baby, he wouldn't be volunteering for any sort of duty any time soon. Sirius began to think to the past. He guessed Remus might be in quite an emotional state right now and he tried to imagine where an emotional Remus would go, but he came up blank.

Normally, Remus would seek out Sirius if he needed to talk. In their previous lives, he would have gone to James and Lily, but James and Lily were…

His train of thought was interrupted by a voice calling his name from inside his jacket.

"Sirius!" the voice called. It was Harry. He nearly ripped the leather in two in his haste to get the square bit of glass out of his breast pocket.

"I'm here, son!" he said quickly. "Are you alright? Please tell me you're somewhere safe!" Harry nodded.

"We are. We're fine."

"Okay. Where are you? I'll come over."

"No, Sirius," Harry said quickly, looking guilty about it. "Look - we're fine. Don't worry about where we are. We're going to be leaving soon, anyway. Sirius - Remus was just here."

Something in Harry's voice made Sirius pause. "He was?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Um... he left, but... we, er... we got into a bit of a row," he said finally.

"Alright. Can you be a little more specific?"

"Tonks is going to have a baby," Harry sighed.

"I know," Sirius said. "I was just over at her place."

"Did she tell you Remus left her?" Harry asked, his voice hard.

"I don't know what happened yet, Harry - "

" _I_ do!" Harry interrupted hotly. "We had a nice little chat about it! He seems to think leaving her and the baby will make everything okay!"

Sirius paused, unsure what to say to that. "Harry, do you know where he went? I really need to find him. If he's really that deep in his own head, I can talk him out of it, but I've got to find him first."

Harry shook his head. "I don't know where he went. He showed up out of the blue, we rowed and he left. I - I called him a coward," he admitted.

Sirius' eyebrows rose. "Why?" he asked slowly.

Harry huffed. "Because he's acting like one! He needs to stay with his wife and kid! Parents shouldn't leave their kids unless... unless they have to," he finished quietly. "He tried to use my Dad against me, too. Said he was sure my Dad would have wanted Remus to go with me instead of staying behind."

"Hmm," Sirius hummed, having an idea where his oldest friend may be and seriously dreading the possibility that he might be right. "I think... I may know where he is," he said distractedly, then focused back on Harry. "Are you sure you three are okay? Still together? Still all in one piece?"

Harry nodded. 'Yes, we're fine. We're leaving here soon, though. We need to stay on the run, stay mobile. You know what it's like," he said.

"Yes, I do," Sirius said ruefully. "Be safe, alright? Have one of you keep watch at all times, and make sure to try and get as much sleep as you can when you can. Exhaustion can slow down your reflexes like nothing else."

"I know, Sirius. We'll be careful. Just... just find him, okay? I'm still pissed at him, but... get him back to Tonks, yeah?" Harry pleaded.

"I will, son," he promised. "I love you," he said.

Harry smiled. "Love you, too, Sirius," he answered, and then he was gone.

Sirius sighed heavily and looked around, taking note of the two men down the street who appeared to be having a normal conversation, but Sirius could feel their eyes on him. He knew there were Snatchers in the Hogsmeade area and stopping in the middle of the road to have a conversation with the most wanted person in Wizarding Britain was probably not his smartest idea. Blood traitors were in the top three favourite fodder for the Death Eaters and the Heir of House Black was at the top of that list.

However, his conversation with Harry had given him a clue where to go. Now all he needed was the nerve. Not giving himself time to back out, Sirius slipped the mirror back into his breast pocket and turned sharply on the spot, disappearing from Hogsmeade and reappearing in a small village in the West Country. Feeling suddenly chilled to the bone despite the warm day, Sirius pulled his jacket tighter around him and gathered all the Gryffindor courage he could muster.


	64. Demons Old And New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this one.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

The village of Godric's Hollow had not changed much since the last time Sirius had been there. The small wizarding community liked their privacy and their quiet and generally kept to themselves. It was a pretty village - rows of cottages with little gardens out front, white picket fences for ivy and climbing roses to cling to and well-kept facades made the streets a pleasure to stroll along. The air was sweet with the scent of flowers, and the buzzing of bees added a pretty symphony to the atmosphere.

For the man in the leather jacket and blue jeans, however, it was the very definition of the inner circle of hell.

Sirius walked around the little church in the center of town to the cemetery. Stopping at the gate, he looked around, but he couldn't see Remus. Finally, he spotted a pair of brown shoes attached to long legs sticking out from behind one of the gravestones and he growled to himself, simultaneously happy and devastated that he'd found his quarry. Deciding there was no way in hell he would be able to do this stone-cold sober, he made a quick detour to the corner shop and picked up the largest bottle of firewhiskey they sold before returning to the cemetery's gate.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!" Sirius muttered savagely to himself, gripping the bottle tighter and opening the gate.

It took two tries to close the latch behind him because his hands were suddenly shaking violently. Forcing his feet to move, he picked his way through the graves, feeling as though he were fighting against an ocean current. The voices in his head that he'd gotten quite good at muffling were back, screaming at him, and his breathing was heavy despite his slow pace.

Soon - much sooner than he would have liked - he found himself approaching the brown shoes and the rest of Remus came into sight.

The werewolf looked like hell. Sporting a week's worth of beard and rumpled clothing, he'd clearly been on the run the last few days. His eyes were bloodshot and there was dirt on his hands. The ground on either side of him had deep gouges in it, the grass having been ripped out and the soil clawed at viciously. Remus didn't move when Sirius' boots came into view. He'd heard the steps approaching and knew who it was.

"If you're here to kill me, Sirius, make it quick. Please. For old time's sake," he said, his voice flat and hollow.

"Fuck you, Remus!" Sirius spat, beyond pissed off. "Fuck you for leaving your wife and kid, and fuck you for making me follow you here."

"Nobody asked you to come."

"Nobody asked you to run off."

Shaking hands unscrewed the cap on the bottle and Sirius took a long swig, feeling it burn all the way down his throat. It was in sharp contrast to the numbness he felt everywhere else, the numbness that had grown with each gravestone he passed. He coughed, then took another long drag before thrusting the bottle towards Remus.

Remus slowly took a drink. "I don't come here very often anymore," he said. "I used to come a lot. I - I didn't have anyone else to talk to. And it didn't cost anything," he added bitterly.

Sirius nodded, not really paying attention. "So, you ready to pull your head out of your arse and get out of here?" he asked impatiently. His back was turned to James and Lily's graves and he was twitching and fidgeting as though itching to leave.

"They're just graves, Padfoot. Nothing to be afraid of."

Sirius seethed. "Fear? _Fear?!_ You wanna talk to me about fear, you gutless wonder?! Wanna tell me about the fear that made you leave your wife? Your unborn child - ?"

Remus leapt to his feet, his face twisted with anger. "You know _nothing_ , Sirius," he spat. "Let's talk about my wife. And the unborn child. Let's talk about what I've done to them. Let's talk about how much better they would both be if I were to take a walk off the nearest cliff!"

"You're not going to have a chance to walk off a cliff, Remus, because I'm going to throw your worthless arse off it!" Sirius shouted. "What is wrong with you?!"

"What's wrong with me?! What's _right_ with me?" Remus shot back. "I've married an incredible woman I don't deserve and, in doing so, made her an outcast - a pariah. I've gotten her pregnant, not only putting her physical health in danger, but possibly passing on my condition to a child. An _innocent child_ , Sirius! Now don't you dare tell me I'm not a monster for that!"

"Merlin, you really are a jackass, Remus! Did you or did you not tell me that that werewolf pack in Germany had children in it? Huh? Children of werewolves that had not inherited a single wolfish trait? Did you not tell me that yourself?"

"Yes, I told you that, but that doesn't mean anything! There haven't been any studies, any data - "

"There doesn't need to be a study, you imbecile! Children exist and don't transform! The facts have been proven!" Sirius argued. Remus opened his mouth, but Sirius continued. "And as for making Tonks an outcast - that's just an excuse and we both know it. And a shitty one, at that. You know damn well that girl was an outcast before she was even born. Marrying you didn't do a damn thing to her social status. Fucking idiot," he muttered. "And give me that," he growled, snatching the bottle back.

"How am I supposed to do this, Sirius? How am I supposed to live with what I've done? If that child turns out to - ," Remus paused and ran his hands through his hair. "It won't survive, Sirius. I've seen it. In the first war. There were babies in Greyback's camp. It was… like a project for him. A sick, twisted, disgusting project."

"What do you mean?" The first war had always been a touchy subject for both men and talking about what had happened, what they'd seen and done, was very, very rare. Sirius had _never_ heard Remus talk about his time in Greyback's pack.

Remus took a deep breath. He'd never spoken to anyone about this. "Fenrir has a thing about kids. You know this." Sirius nodded. "And female werewolves are extremely rare. It is known that once a girl or woman is turned, she can no longer have children. The monthly transformations are too much for a human fetus. She can still get pregnant, but a human fetus only weeks old never survives. Sometimes, the trauma of the miscarriage kills the woman."

"But that's not true if she is in her wolf form when she gets pregnant. If we mate at the full moon while transformed, she can get pregnant and will carry full term, but… "

"But - ?"

"But the result is wolf cubs, not human babies," Remus finished with a sigh. "At one time, Fenrir wanted to create packs this way. He would find, or create, a female werewolf, keep her close as the full moon approached and mate her. A little over two months later, a litter would be born."

"Merlin," Sirius said.

"Yeah," Remus agreed. "Unfortunately for him - and fortunately for us - there were severe setbacks. A werewolf's reproductive system when in wolf form is just like a normal wolf's, which means that she can only get pregnant once a year, usually around February or March. The rest of the year, she won't let a male near her." He snorted humourlessly. "Pissed him off to no end."

"Another problem was that the females would fight. He tried, once, to… I don't know… _corrall_ several females together with him one month and it was a disaster. I think he said he'd had five females when they transformed, but only one was still alive in the morning. And he hadn't mated her."

"This went on for years. He'd all but given up on the idea when I joined the pack. By then, he was trying to see just how young he could turn someone and have them still survive."

Remus snatched the whiskey bottle back from Sirius and took a long swig before continuing.

"In my time there, he stole three children. I don't know how, I don't know where he got them from, I only know that they were younger than four years old. See, he already knew a four year old could survive. I was proof of that."

He shuddered. "He took them away for the full moon. I don't know where they went, but Fenrir always knew good hiding places - forests, mountains, caves… only one child came back with him. Three years old, a little girl… she was unconscious when he carried her into the camp to show off his _success_." Remus spat the word out as though it tasted sour. "Her leg was wrapped in bandages and you could smell the silver and dittany he'd used to seal the wound…"

Sirius watched his tortured friend lean wearily on a tall gravestone, his head hanging down and his shoulders sagging as though the weight of the world was bearing down on him. "Did - did she live long?" he asked quietly.

Remus took a deep breath. "Not quite two months. The man Fenrir assigned to look after the girl took pity on her just before her second moon... and snapped her neck."

Sirius had to force himself not to vomit.

"Fenrir killed him for it. Publicly. Told us - _showed_ us - what happened to those who disobeyed him."

"Remus - "

"I don't think I could do that, Sirius," he interrupted quietly. "Not to my own child. But what would be the alternative? Knowing exactly what sort of hell they would go through every month? Wondering if this would be the month it became too much for their fragile body? I'm not sure I'm strong enough to spare a child the life I know they will have."

He turned and looked Sirius in the eye.

"Does that make me a coward?"

Sirius recoiled. "Shit, Remus," he swore, running a hand through his hair. "Harry didn't know about… what you just told me. That's not what he was thinking about, and you know it."

Remus nodded. "I do know that. I've been very careful in my life to shield the people that accept me from the things my kind are capable of. Even you, Sirius. Even James. Especially Lily. You remember play-wrestling with Moony and breaking out of the Shack to run through the Forbidden Forest. You know nothing about how most werewolves live. The poverty, the shame… finding a job is nearly impossible, and keeping it is even harder. Without a job, there's no money - which means no food, no rent, no Wolfsbane."

He turned and faced the Potters' graves again. "So you start thinking that there must be another way. And you're right. You can seek out a pack. A pack can make deals with merchants. Deals for food and clothing. As long as the pack stays out of town and away from the residents for the full moon, you can be tolerated. Not liked, mind you, but tolerated."

"So, you go and live in a community with a bunch of stinking, filthy men who are content to live in tents and bathe only when they can no longer stand themselves and you wonder why. Why am I being shunned? Why am I the bad guy? I didn't choose this, I didn't turn myself. Why am I the outcast?"

"You start resenting normal people. After all, they already hate you, why not hate them back? It's not like they care what you think of them anyway. From there, it's not far to violence. Anger, hurt, betrayal… Fenrir takes it to an extreme, but there are plenty of my kind who agree with him. The wizarding community has no use for them, so they have no use for the wizarding community. But wouldn't it be nice to have the power for once?"

Sirius was quiet while he digested all that Remus had just told him. The men passed the bottle back and forth a few times before Sirius spoke.

"Remus, this is not Fenrir Greyback's camp. More importantly, _you_ are not Fenrir Greyback. I understand your fears and I know now where they come from, but… but you must go back to your wife and child."

Remus opened his mouth, but Sirius cut him off.

"Hear me out, please," he said. "I realize that what I believe makes very little difference to you until the baby is born and you see for yourself, but I do not believe that baby will be afflicted as you are. I do not believe that you have passed on any significant wolfish characteristics. However, I do believe that your presence in your wife's life and your baby's life is of the utmost importance."

"Suppose, just for the sake of argument, that I'm wrong. Are you willing to leave Tonks to deal with a werewolf child on her own? Would she not benefit from your experience? And what if the child does not transform, but has some canine tendencies? Like Bill, for instance. Would the child not need your guidance and protection while learning to deal with it?"

Remus was quiet, so Sirius continued.

"You're not thinking clearly, Remus," he charged. "I know you're afraid of all the things that might happen, but running away from your responsibilities will do no good. Your wife _is_ pregnant. The baby _is_ on the way."

"I was at your wedding, Remus. I heard you make your vows. 'For better or worse', you said. Well, now things are tough. And they're going to get tougher. You need to man up, mate. Be the husband Tonks married, be the man I know you can be. Prepare yourself to be the father I know you can be."

For a long time Remus said nothing. Sirius watched his fingers twitch occasionally and his eyes dart about, as though still internally debating flight. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"Do… do _you_ think I could be… you know… a _father_?"

"Yes, mate. I do," Sirius answered him instantly. "I think you'd make a damn good father."

Remus breathed deep and leaned heavily on a gravestone. "I don't know how to do this," he said quietly, Sirius only picking it up because of Padfoot's hearing.

"None of us do. Even James. He went completely stupid, d'you remember?"

Remus huffed a near-laugh. "Yeah. Never ran off though, did he?"

Sirius ignored this. "Remus, one day - possibly soon - the war will end. We're going to build the world we want to live in, that we want our children to live in. Don't you want to be a part of that? Don't you want to stand next to your wife - your beautiful, smart, talented, brave, loving wife - and hold your child in your arms while we do that? Can't you see it, Moony? It's going to be so beautiful."

"How can you still hope like that?" Remus wondered aloud.

Sirius shrugged and smiled. "I don't know. It just comes to me every time I talk to Harry."

"Harry," Remus repeated thoughtfully. "I need to apologize to him, too."

"You'll get your chance. Maybe not today, though. He said they were moving soon."

"Probably smart. It's only a matter of time before Grimmauld gets searched again."

"Is that where they were? Harry wouldn't tell me." Sirius sighed and took one more drink of firewhiskey. "And now, _I_ need to apologize to _you_ ," he said gravely.

"For… ?"

"For what I'm about to do. You're not going to like it, but I think it'll win you some sympathy from a witch who is decidedly _less_ than sympathetic at the moment."

Remus frowned and turned towards him. "What do you mean?"

"Are you ready to go back?"

"Yes."

Sirius nodded. "Then brace yourself."

* * *

 

Finally, _finally_ , Jeannie had gotten Tonks to laugh at something. The newly-pregnant witch had cried for the first twenty minutes Jeannie had been there, then raged for the next twenty, then cried some more, then raged… and all in surprisingly regular twenty minute intervals. By the third round, Jeannie found herself thoroughly amused at the phenomenon that was pregnancy hormones.

She had no doubt that Sirius would find Remus and make good on his promise to 'drag his sorry arse back' to Tonks, and she told the raging/crying witch so. But it didn't help much. What did help was listening attentively (or, at least, appearing to), nodding or voicing her agreement to whatever Tonks was saying (even if she couldn't actually make out the words due to excessive snot production) and lots of rocky road ice cream.

Once Tonks had successfully worn herself out for the fifth time since Sirius left, Jeannie decided to try turning the conversation to less devastating topics. So she began going through all the times she and Tonks had gotten in trouble in school, and had just finished reminiscing about using Tonks' abilities to convince their seventh year Defense professor that they were twins when the fireplace erupted in green flame.

Sirius stepped out first, followed by Remus and Jeannie couldn't prevent her snarl. Sirius saw it and immediately crossed the room, taking her by the elbow and dragging her to the fireplace.

"Come on, baby," he said.

"But I want to hex him."

"I know you do, but how about we let Tonks have first privilege, hmm?"

A _woosh!_ sounded and the soon-to-be parents were alone.

Tonks looked over her husband. He was filthy, he clearly hadn't showered or shaved since leaving her but, despite the significant amount of hair growth on his face, he looked for all the world to be a boy standing in front of his head of house after being caught doing something naughty.

His head was bowed, his eyes downcast, and his arms hung loosely at his sides. A shuffling of feet would complete the picture, but he stayed still as though awaiting his sentence. Tonks stood up from the sofa and stepped towards him. When she was within an arm's length, he dropped to his knees before her.

"You're back," she stated, after a moment's pause.

"Yes," he breathed.

"Bastard," she ground out and, fast as lightning, her hand collided with the side of his face with a violent _SMACK!_

She heard him hiss in pain and grasped his chin, turning his head to look at his cheek. The bruise forming there could not have come from her hand.

"Piss off a lot of people in the last three days, did you?" she asked caustically.

"Not that I'm aware," he replied. "Only my beautiful wife and her cousin."

"And her cousin's girlfriend," Tonks added. "You're lucky Sirius got her out of here." Remus nodded. "Sirius hit you?"

"Yes."

"Good." Despite her antagonistic tone, she tenderly stroked his wounded jaw. "Are you back for good?"

"If you'll allow it."

"That's not what I asked. Don't make me make your decisions for you."

"Yes. I'm back for good. As long as you want me, as long as you can stand me, I will be here. I've made many mistakes in my life, but I am not in the habit of repeating them."

"I… this is the last time, Remus," she said, her tone very serious. "I won't take you back again. If you ever do this to me again, if you ever leave me again - I don't care if it's for three days or three hours - you'd better stay gone. Do you understand me?"

Remus took a deep, shuddering breath. "Yes. I understand you," he said, finally realizing just how close he'd come to losing everything again.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too."

"I'm glad you're back."

"So am I." He paused, then took a chance. "May… may I rub your feet?" he asked, glancing up at her through his fringe.

She sniffed and lost a bit of her stern composure. "After you make me a cup of hot chocolate," she replied, pouting just a little.

Remus exhaled heavily and wrapped his arms around her hips, drawing her to him, and rested his cheek against her stomach.

"Your baby's in there," she said, threading her fingers through his hair and scratching his scalp.

He swallowed. "M-my ba-by," he stuttered, acknowledging the tiny life as his for the first time since she told him she was pregnant. He hadn't wanted to believe it, hadn't dared to hope… a part of him had almost wished that she'd cheated on him and the baby was someone else's, but no. His Dora would never do that.

Remus breathed in deep, bathing in the familiar scent of his wife and the new scent of his child and pressed a kiss to her belly before rising to make her her cup of hot chocolate.

* * *

 

As soon as they stepped through the fireplace, Sirius dropped Jeannie's arm and went into the kitchen, where he took a small vial out of the cabinet they kept potions in and drank it down. Jeannie heard the clink as he set the empty vial next to the sink to be washed out as she entered the room.

"What was that?" she asked him.

"Sober-Up. Remus and I went through most of a bottle of firewhiskey and I'm not sure how much of it I drank. I wasn't really paying attention."

"Okay," she said slowly, slightly confused.

"I don't want to be drunk around you," Sirius explained. "You don't stay with me when I'm drunk and I - I need you to stick around tonight," he said quietly. "Please, baby, I - I'm not sure I can be alone tonight."

Jeannie took in the stiffness of his shoulders, hunched over the sink, and the way he was hanging his head and knew she couldn't leave him to his own devices. Whatever he'd had to do to bring Remus back, wherever he'd had to go, had taken a very serious toll on him. Sighing, she walked up to him and laid her hand gently atop his clenched fist that rested on the counter. Instantly, he relaxed a little and some of the tension left him.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go to bed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, this is the last of the super-emotional Remus. He wore me out, and I know he's a fictional character!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1


	65. Moony Tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a long, long time since I updated this. Thank you all so much for your patience and especially a reviewer called Fan. Your kind words mean so much to me. I updated this fic on FFnet a couple of weeks ago, but I forgot to upload that chapter here, so here you go!

He was trying.

Merlin knows, he was trying, but as the sound of his beautiful, clumsy, pink-haired wife stumbling to the loo in a mad dash to lose whatever was in her stomach woke him from peaceful slumber, Remus succumbed and reached into the drawer of his nightstand. Pulling out a small vial of Calming Draught, he took the tiniest sip, mindful of the addictive properties of the elixir, and willed himself not to panic.

Three months... it had been three months since she'd told him he'd done his husbandly duty and just over two months since Harry - the resemblance to James physically painful - had accused him of cowardice and he was no closer to overcoming his fears. Harry was right, he knew, but of all the things he'd done and seen, nothing could have prepared him for being an expectant father. Never, in all the years since the day after Halloween 1981, had he wished harder for James. James would know how to handle it. James had wanted to be a father, had relished giving foot rubs and satisfying cravings and watching his wife swell with a child he knew would be born completely human and normal and curse-free... Remus took another small sip.

_Retch…_

The sound traveled in from the bathroom and Remus rolled out of bed. Pulling on the robe Dora loved to tease him about because it looked 'just so Remus', he made it to the bathroom door just in time to hear the faucet turn on. _Good,_ he thought, _she's done for now._ Knocking gently, he didn't wait for an answer, but slipped into the room and put his arms around his wife, splaying his fingers out against her stomach where he could swear there was just the faintest growth under the shirt she'd nicked from him, claiming it was more comfortable than any pyjamas she'd ever owned.

"I love you," he said softly to her, chuckling as she grinned at him through a mouthful of toothpaste. The Calming Draught having done it's job by now, Remus closed his eyes and used his other, more heightened senses to ground himself to the moment.

Dora's scent had changed during the first few weeks of their marriage but it wasn't until she came back from the healer that he recognized it for what it was. A few weeks later, he'd been scared out of his wits thinking that she was having heart palpitations before realizing that it was, in fact, a second heartbeat he was hearing. His Dora was never a vain person, but she did sometimes unconsciously morph her body slightly slimmer and the arrival of the baby had put a halt to that, preventing her from morphing away the tiny bit of plumpness that she hated but Remus loved…

A sharp slap to the hand brought him out of his reverie. "Stop playing with my fat!" Dora groused.

"You're not fat, Dora. You're perfect and I love you," he replied, closing his eyes again and running his nose along her neck and shoulder.

"Hmph! It's a good thing you're cute in the morning."

Remus snorted. "So I'm not cute the rest of the time?"

She shrugged. "You're cut _er_ in the morning. Cuz you're all shaggy and disheveled," she teased, reaching up and tousling his hair.

"If you wanted shaggy and disheveled, you should have married Sirius."

"Nah. He's pain in the arse. I'll let Jeannie have him. She seems to enjoy it." Tonks leaned back into Remus and relaxed. "Speaking of...," she said, as his hands moved up to cup her breasts.

"Speaking of what?" He actually hadn't done it with a sexual interest. The constant changes to her body were a steady source of wonderment for him and he marveled at every new nuance, including the way her breasts felt heavier today than they had yesterday.

"Speaking of 'enjoying it'," Tonks answered, placing her hands over his and increasing the pressure, but he resisted.

"Aren't they sore?" he asked, remembering the way Lily had complained - to his great embarrassment - how even wearing a bra was a trial for her.

"A little," she admitted, gripping his hands harder as he tried to move them away, "but that feels good." He relaxed and let her set the pace, kneading her own breasts with his hands. "Remus," she whispered. "I want you."

He knew. He could smell her arousal and his body was starting to react to it, but he didn't want to push her too far. "Dora, I - _mmm_ ," he groaned as one hand left his and traveled back to cup him through his pyjama pants. Remus had heard about the hormonal changes that came with the second trimester of pregnancy and apparently it was beginning. Letting out a soft growl against her neck, he felt her shiver and his resolve crumbled.

Pulling back, Remus scooped her up and carried her bridal-style back to their bed. He set her down gently and laid next to her, pillowing his head on one arm and draping the other over her, holding her close. "What do you want, Dora? We don't have to have sex if you can't handle it right now. There are plenty of other things we can do if you just need release."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "While I would love to spend an evening listening to you describe all these 'things' we can do - in great detail, mind - ," she began, turning over on the bed and maneuvering herself on top of him, "what I _want_ is your cock inside me." She straddled him and rolled her hips, making him whine. "What I _want_ is to feel you hot and hard and throbbing, stuffing me until I'm air-tight. Think you can handle that, Messer Moony?"

Remus groaned and his eyes darkened. He'd never admit it out loud, but he loved it when Dora talked dirty to him. She had a way of being absolutely filthy and making him want more. He tried thinking of an argument against the sort of sex he knew she was asking for, but she'd already gotten his robe undone and was working on the buttons of his pyjama shirt.

"Dora...," he sighed, realizing defeat. Reaching up, he threaded his fingers through her hair and brought her down for a kiss as she slid her hand into his bottoms.

* * *

 

Later, after Dora had left for work and Andromeda had retreated to her bedroom as was her habit since Ted went on the run, Remus returned to the bedroom he shared with Dora and opened the closet. There, under a pile of ridiculously colourful t-shirts and mismatched socks, were all of Remus' earthly possessions. When he had come back to Dora after his momentary insanity, she had insisted that they stay with her mother during her pregnancy. Remus had agreed, of course - she could have asked him to jump off a cliff and he would have done it - and had gathered his things from Grimmauld and her flat and the now-derelict little cottage he hadn't occupied in years, packed them into boxes, minimized them and shoved them to the back of her closet.

And there they had stayed. Until now. Levitating the items onto the bed, he sifted through the boxes until he found the one he was looking for. Marked _'Personal'_ , Remus set that one aside and sent the rest back into the closet. Taking a deep breath, he opened the box. Smells of slightly musty childhood met his nose as he smiled fondly at the contents. His photo albums were in there, along with letters he'd written to his parents from school that they'd kept, replies to those letters that he'd kept, various trinkets from his travels as a young man, and other odds and ends that were near and dear to his heart.

Suddenly missing his mother, Remus pulled out the first object that smelled of her - her recipe box. Hope Lupin may have been a Muggle, but she was magical in the kitchen and even though Remus had no interest in the culinary arts, he'd kept her recipe box simply because it was hers. Cracking the lid, he tried to think back to the last time he'd gone through it. Not often, that was for sure. He'd tried, with disastrous results, to make her double chocolate cookies shortly after she'd passed, but after that…

_Wait..._ _Moony tea…_

Now he remembered. Lily had had severe morning sickness in the early stages of her pregnancy and Remus had found a recipe in his mother's things for a tea that her notes said the women in the Howell family had sworn by for generations for all sorts of ailments, including morning sickness. He'd taken a chance one day while visiting Lily and James since Lily had also developed a craving for strong tea and created a monster. The next thing Remus knew, he was getting owls at all sorts of ungodly hours from James accusing him of bewitching his wife and then begging him to come over and make her 'Moony tea' because she 'desperately needed it'.

He couldn't believe he'd forgotten. All this time Dora had been suffering from morning sickness and he'd had this recipe right under his nose. Remus smacked himself in the forehead and sifted through the scraps of paper until he found it. Just as he'd left it, the recipe brought back all sorts of wonderful but painful memories and he had to allow himself a moment to calm his emotions.

When he'd collected himself, he stuffed the recipe into his pocket and checked with Andromeda to see if she needed anything while he was out. It wasn't their normal shopping day, but since the tea was his mother's recipe, he could get everything he needed from a Muggle market, and he felt the chances of running into Death Eaters or Dark sympathizers was fairly slim in a Muggle grocery. And he was determined to have Moony tea waiting for his wife when she got home.

* * *

 

"Honey, I'm home," Dora sang as she stumbled into the kitchen from the back door. "What smells good?"

Remus smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "I have a surprise for you, darling. I hope it works." He held out a cup of steaming tea.

"You hope it works?" she repeated. "What's it supposed to do?"

"It's supposed to make… er, _everything_ \- " he gestured vaguely to her, "just a bit better. It's an old recipe of my mother's. Supposedly makes pregnancy more tolerable."

"Ahh," she said, taking the cup and sniffing it before taking a small sip. "Mmm, tasty," she said. "So far, so good," she added with a shrug when Remus continued watching her. He grinned slightly sheepishly and she waved at the parchments on the table. "What's all this?"

"Research," Remus replied. Dora cocked an eyebrow. "Werewolf research," he clarified. "I told Kingsley I'm not going on any missions or meeting with any contacts while you're pregnant, so I've been given the task of tracking the packs' movements for Max and Nahual."

"That's what all these maps are for?"

"Yes. The main problem is transportation. Max and Nahual are Muggles, so they can't apparate. The floo network is being monitored and there's only so many illegal portkeys we can create before someone notices. I'm not sure how to get around that yet."

"What about brooms?"

Remus shook his head. "I don't think brooms would respond to them. Brooms react to a person's magic. Anyway, brooms aren't really any faster than a Muggle train, and we know the Ministry isn't watching Muggle travel. It's just the extra time it takes that's frustrating."

"Well, we know owls are out," Dora said, and Remus nodded. Interception had become more than common since Scrimgeour's murder, and face-to-face communication was preferred. "I'm sure you'll think of something, love."

Remus hummed distractedly.

"Remus?"

"Hmm?"

Dora held out her empty teacup. "Can I have some more?" she asked, grinning when her husband - so often morose and prone to melancholy - positively beamed at her.

Remus took her cup and kissed her lovingly. "Absolutely."

* * *

 

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months. More and more of the Order went into hiding. Remus put Andromeda's house under a Fidelius, choosing Sirius as the Secret Keeper, and adamantly refused to allow Tonks past the front door after her morphing failed her completely during her sixth month of pregnancy.

Jeannie and Sirius chose not to hide behind a Fidelius as they both needed the freedom to visit the other Order members fairly regularly. Little by little communications broke down and it was decided that face-to-face contact was the most reliable way to send or receive a message, and both Jeannie and Sirius excelled at stealth. It was rare that the Order came together as a group for a meeting but, during the first week of April, they managed it.

The meeting place chosen was Jeannie's. Being in muggle London, there would be little trouble getting in or out of the building and it was one of the few Order domiciles that was not under Death Eater surveillance. The Burrow had a constant watchman, despite the fact the house couldn't actually be seen as Bill had been made Secret Keeper for his parents. Conversely, Arthur took the Secret for Shell Cottage as Bill was not entirely sure if the Death Eaters knew where he lived or not and chances were not things anyone took anymore.

One by one, people filtered into Jeannie's building. Remus was the first to arrive and joined Sirius at the door, his heightened senses giving them an extra level of security as Sirius threw out all sorts of random blackmail for identity verification.

"Alright, everyone, "Kingsley began once they were all gathered inside. "First of all, how are we doing?"

"We're alright," Sirius answered for himself and Jeannie, who was perched on his knee as he sat in a large, leather armchair. "As far as we know, no one has traced us back here."

"Not for lack of trying, though," Jeannie said. "I spent three hours apparating in circles just the other day to shake off Jugson."

"Where were you?" Arthur asked.

"Hogsmeade." Murmurs sounded around the room. "I know," Jeannie said, "but I needed to talk to Rosemerta and Aberforth. Nobody knows the state of the school better than they do. Especially now that owls have been banned completely."

"You didn't happen to hear anything about Ginny, did you?" Arthur asked quietly. Molly had stayed at home for this meeting.

"No, I didn't," Jeannie answered apologetically. "But no news is definitely good news. A few of the students have gone missing. Aberforth says they're in the Room of Requirement, but he wouldn't tell me how he knew that."

"Miserable old coot," Sirius growled. "He hated Albus, and now that Albus is dead, he's taking it out on all of us. Now really isn't the time for keeping secrets."

"Are you sure it was Aberforth?" Kingsley asked.

Jeannie nodded. "Yeah. Didn't even have to ask, just caught him gazing lovingly at his goats. No Death Eater could be that convincing about an attachment to farm animals." Sirius snorted behind her.

Kingsley nodded. "Aright. Remus, how are things with you?"

"So far, so good," Remus replied. "Dora's about ready to pop any day now, so I'm not the calmest I could be, but Jeannie's kept me well stocked with potions. Andromeda isn't too good, but with Dora so close to having the baby, she's distracted enough to keep her mind off Ted for the most part. I still hear her crying in her bedroom most nights, though."

Jeannie bowed her head and felt Sirius sigh heavily. Ted's body had been found the month before along with the bodies of a Gringotts goblin and another Muggle-born wizard, and she and Sirius had spent several nights at Andromeda's house, helping Remus deal with the distraught witches. Jeannie, too, had felt the sting of the loss. Ted, like Arthur, had been almost a surrogate father to her.

"Arthur?" Kingsley continued.

"The only thing that changes for us is our watchman," Arthur said. "It was Yaxley to begin with, then Dolohov, but I don't recognize the last two. They must be either new recruits or just lower level people we don't know about."

"Hmm. That's not necessarily a bad sign," Remus said. "Means you're not really important enough to waste the good people on."

"Or, it means that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is keeping his top people close," Kingsley offered.

"Or both," Sirius said.

"Any news of the werewolves?" Kingsley asked Max.

Max hesitated. "Not… as such, no," he hedged. "The situation stays the same - we have allies on the Continent, while the British werewolves are either following Greyback or terrified into staying out of it altogether."

"But…?"

"But something's not right," Max said. "There's… almost an apprehension in the packs I've visited recently. There is something in the air. Like last summer just before You-Know-Who took over the Ministry. The werewolves are agitated, and they're not talking."

Kingsley swore. "That's what we've been hearing about other magical creatures as well. It's almost as though they're gearing up for something big - "

_"Sirius! Sirius! Are you there?!"_ Harry's frantic, slightly muffled voice suddenly erupted from Sirius' shirt pocket.

Jeannie immediately scrambled off Sirius and knelt on the floor next to his chair, leaving plenty of room for the rest of the Order to crowd around the little mirror.

"Harry! Wha- "

"Sirius, listen! We're trapped in Malfoy Manor! We're in the dungeons! They've taken Hermione - I don't know where she is, but he's coming, Sirius! _He's coming!_ "

Time stopped for the Order.

"I'm on my way." Sirius shot out of the chair only to be pushed back down by Kingsley and the room echoed with canine unhappiness as Sirius and Remus both erupted in feral growls.

"We can't get into Malfoy Manor," Kingsley said decisively. "If Harry's right and You-Know-Who is going there, the wards are going to be stronger than we could ever penetrate, even if we had the entire DMLE along for the ride. We can't fight him head-to-head like that. We'll be massacred."

"Then you'd better think of something, Kings," Remus rumbled dangerously. "Quickly."

Kingsley's brow furrowed. "Winky!" he called. A _crack!_ was heard and an elf appeared.

"Mister Kingsley, sir!" she squeaked.

"Winky, can a dismissed elf still apparate into the house of their former masters?"

Winky frowned and her ears drooped. "Yes, Mister Kingsley. But the Ministry took Master Crouch's house, sir."

"This isn't about Crouch, Winky," Sirius said. "We need Dobby."

The little elf gulped and her ears dropped further. "Oh," she said, afraid. "Winky will get him, Sirius Black."

Two _crack!s_ later and two elves stood before the Order, awaiting instructions. The poor creatures shook like leaves, but both Dobby and Winky had determined looks on their faces and they stood straight and proud.

"What is we to do, Sirius Black, sir?" Dobby asked.

"I hate to have to ask this of you, Dobby, but Harry, Hermione and Ron are being held in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor. Is there a way you can get them out?" he asked.

"Yes, Sirius Black," Dobby replied. "Dobby will go. Dobby will save Harry Potter."

"Winky goes, too," Winky piped up.

"Right," Kingsley said. "Get them out and take them wherever they want to go. Then report back to us here."

The elves nodded. "Yes, Mister Kingsley, sir!" The two joined hands and apparated away.

"Fuck," Sirius moaned, standing. He began to pace around the room, hands clutching at his hair. "Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck… "

Remus took a small vial out of his pocket and took a sip. Jeannie recognized the potion as Calming Draught. The werewolf's eyes were shifting from green to amber and his hands twitched as he replaced the vial. Max, too, was clearly on edge, but he lacked the emotional attachment to Harry that Remus and Sirius had.

"If we don't hear something in ten minutes, we go," Kingsley said, and everyone's eyes snapped to the clock on the wall.

Seconds felt like hours, and the ticking of the clock's hands reverberated through the Order as they sat, frozen in place. All except Sirius, that is, who continued to pace, his steps falling in time as though with a metronome.

Nine minutes and thirty-two seconds later, Winky reappeared in the room. She was shaken and disheveled, and her normally immaculate uniform was spattered with blood and grime. Her big eyes were filled to the brim with tears and her lip wobbled. She took a deep breath.

"Misters Harry and Ron, and Miss Hermione are safe at Shell Cottage, along with three others who was in the dungeons, too," she squeaked.

"Right," Bill said, leaping up. Seconds later, he and Sirius vanished out the front door.

"Winky," Jeannie began. "What about Dobby?"

Winky sniffled and her tears overflowed. She shook her head.


	66. Casualties

_Here Lies Dobby - A Free Elf_

Harry heard the sound of cautious footsteps behind him as he stared down at Dobby's grave and the dragonhide motorcycle boots that came into view told him it was Sirius. The animagus stopped several feet away from Harry and didn't say anything, clearly waiting for Harry to make his peace before intruding. Harry took a few more moments to say a silent goodbye to his friend, then retreated from the grave to stand next to Sirius.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Sirius said quietly.

"It wasn't your fault, Sirius."

"It was. I'm the one that sent him there."

Harry shook his head. "He went because he wanted to. He knew the risks."

"No," Sirius argued. "He went because I ordered him to. I should have had him take me there."

"No, Sirius," Harry said firmly. "He went because he wanted to. Dobby didn't do anything he didn't want to do. He was a free elf." The two stood in silence for a minute before Harry looked up at his godfather. "I need to talk to you," he said.

Sirius took in the hard set of Harry's jaw and the world-weary air about him and nodded, turning to head back into the house. Harry lead them up to the room he was sharing with Ron and closed the door. Fleur had brought up a pot of tea earlier and cast a stasis charm on it so it would stay hot and Harry poured himself a cup, then sat on his bed. Sirius got a cup as well and took the armchair in the corner, shedding his leather jacket and waiting for Harry to start the conversation.

Harry took his time, gathering his thoughts, before setting his cup down and looking Sirius in the eye. "Peter's dead," he said bluntly, but quietly.

Sirius sat stock still for a moment before a great sadness overcame his features and he sat his cup down as well. "How?" he asked softly.

"Do you remember when I told Dumbledore about what happened in the graveyard at the end of fourth year?" Harry asked and Sirius nodded. "Remember I said V- You-Know-Who gave him a silver hand? Well, the hand turned on him and strangled him." Sirius' eyes widened, but Harry continued, knowing he would want to hear the whole story. "We were in the dungeon and Peter was guarding us. I reminded him that he owed me a life debt because I didn't let you and Remus kill him in the Shrieking Shack and he... hesitated. He was thinking about letting us out and that was it, I guess. The hand sensed the betrayal to his master and turned on him. It wrapped around his throat and... It wasn't pretty, Sirius," he finished in a whisper.

Sirius broke eye contact and looked out the window for many minutes, unseeing. Finally, he brought himself back into the present. "I'll tell Moony," he said, his voice rough. Harry nodded. "Can you tell me what you're doing now?"

Harry sighed heavily. "No," he answered, looking pained. "You've no idea how much I wish I could, Sirius, but I just... can't right now. I'm sorry."

"Okay," Sirius said. "Can you... can you tell me _why_ you can't tell me?" he asked hesitatingly.

"I promised Dumbledore I wouldn't tell anyone but Ron and Hermione," Harry answered immediately and Sirius visibly relaxed.

"Okay," he repeated, offering Harry a half-smile. "Sorry. I just needed to know it wasn't because you don't trust me," he admitted, looking slightly sheepish.

Harry shook his head. "I gave Dumbledore my word, Sirius. It has nothing to do with my faith in you. That's absolute."

"I'm glad," Sirius said quietly. "Not sure I deserve it, but it's good to hear." They were silent for a moment, lost in their own thoughts, before Harry changed the subject.

"Did - ah - did Remus go back to Tonks?" he asked.

Sirius chuckled quietly. "Oh, yeah. There was never any reason to worry about that, he just panicked. Yeah, he went back to her later that day. Got down on his knees and everything." He smiled at the memory. "Remus is a good man, Harry. He was never actually going to leave Tonks in that state, but he's never been good with big shocks. His biggest fear is infecting someone and, well… ," Sirius sighed. "He panicked and he ran, then he ran back as fast as his feet would take him."

Harry smiled. "Good. Is he - is he mad at me?"

Sirius grinned. "No, son. He's not. You told him the truth, and if he can't handle hearing the truth from his friends, he's in a sorrier state than he thinks." They both laughed a bit at that.

"Next time you see him, tell him I'm sorry, will you?" Harry requested.

Sirius nodded. "Sure."

Just then a scream from across the hall pierced through the walls. "Hermione!" Harry exclaimed as he and Sirius leapt up and bolted from the room. Throwing her door open, they saw Hermione thrashing about on the bed, clearly in the midst of a violent nightmare. Sirius got to her first and, knowing a thing or two about nightmares, tried to gently, but quickly, wake her up before she could do herself harm.

"Hermione," he called. "Kitten! Come on, kitten, wake up!" he said, shaking her to bring her out of it. Her eyes shot open and locked onto Sirius, still fighting against his hold until she caught sight of Harry next to her bed. She stilled, but didn't relax, as though she didn't believe what she was seeing. Her eyes flickered over Sirius and she frowned at the fresh scratch marks on his arm that had clearly come from her. Sirius followed her gaze and snorted. "I've had worse, kitten," he said. "From girls," he added with a wink and a grin.

Hermione blinked, then blushed a bit and huffed in an attempt to laugh. "Well," she said, her voice hoarse, "I was going to check if you were really Sirius, but I don't think I have to now."

"There's only one of me, kitten," Sirius confirmed, winking again. "Good thing, too."

Hermione laughed weakly. "That's true enough." She yawned widely. "Sorry about that. I was dreaming and... "

Sirius nodded sympathetically. "It's quite alright, Hermione. If there's anyone in the world who knows about nightmares, it's me. Don't worry about it, just try to go back to sleep. You need more rest." Hermione nodded, but looked slightly worried, as though she was scared of having another nightmare. Sirius had an idea. "How about one of us stays with you? At least until you fall asleep?"

She bit her lip, but nodded her consent.

"Hermione, I - I really need to speak to Griphook," Harry said. The two of them shared a long look and Sirius knew there was much more to that statement than he knew about.

"Yes," Hermione replied slowly. "Yes, Harry, you do need to speak to him. The sooner the better, I think."

"I think so, too," he agreed apologetically. "You okay with Sirius staying?"

Hermione nodded and looked at Sirius. "If that's okay with you?" she asked, biting her lip again.

"Fine by me," Sirius said, smiling gently at her.

"I'll ask Fleur to send up some tea and biscuits," Harry said. He reached down and briefly squeezed Hermione's hand, then left the room.

"Are you sure you're okay with me staying, Hermione?" he asked her. "I can go get Ron if you'd prefer."

Hermione frowned and shook her head. "No. It's still... weird?" she said uncertainly, not quite sure how to describe their relationship at the moment.

"Okay," Sirius replied, not really understanding but choosing not to press the issue. "Budge up a little, then," he said, kicking off his boots and climbing onto the bed. He leaned against the headboard and opened his arms, allowing Hermione to snuggle up to him as much or as little as she needed. Apparently, she needed a lot because she immediately curled into his side, resting her head on his chest and wrapping an arm around his middle. He gave her shoulders a squeeze and rubbed the arm across his stomach, stopping when he felt bandaging. "Were you injured badly?" he asked.

Hermione stilled and looked up at him. "Harry didn't tell you?"

Sirius cocked an eyebrow. "Bill told me you'd been tortured but that you'd be okay. Nobody gave me any details."

She nodded and rested her head back on his chest. "I don't really want to talk about it right now," she whispered.

"You don't have to, kitten," he assured her. "I just want to make sure I don't hurt you or aggravate an injury."

"I don't think you'll do any damage, Sirius. My arm throbs but it's not unbearable, so I'm okay for the moment. I'm... I'm sore all over and I can't seem to get warm."

"Okay," he said, snapping his fingers and summoning the extra blanket from the foot of the bed, tucking it in around Hermione and kissing the top of her head. "Go to sleep, kitten. I'll keep you safe."

For the next three hours, Hermione slept soundly with only the occasional twitch or shudder. Each time Sirius whispered soft, soothing words to her and she calmed down, relaxing against him and snuggling impossibly closer. He found it interesting that she said she was having trouble keeping warm because her body felt like a furnace next to his and he kept casting drying charms on his shirt where she was laying against it to get rid of the sweat she was causing. He didn't complain, though, he merely held her like he'd said he'd do and nibbled on a few of the biscuits that had appeared on the bedside table along with a pot of tea.

Sometime around noon, a knock was heard at the door and it opened to reveal Fleur. She gave Sirius a smile and walked in quietly with two trays floating in behind her. One had chicken soup and a chunk of crusty bread on it and the other had a bowl of warm water and what smelled to Sirius like Essence of Murtlap along with fresh bandages. Fleur set the two trays down on the table by the window and asked Sirius to wake Hermione. He shook her gently and cooed at her to bring her out of dreamland.

"Hmm? Sirius?" she responded groggily, squinting at the light in the room. "Oh! Merlin, Sirius, I'm sorry!" she said, realizing the position they were still in and the time they'd been in it. Hermione suddenly felt bad for essentially trapping him there for an inordinate amount of time.

Sirius chuckled. "Calm down, kitten, everything's fine. Fleur says you need to eat something and I think she wants to change your bandages, okay?"

"Oh, um, okay," she said, hesitating a little before turning towards Fleur and away from him and rolling up her sleeve.

Clearly she didn't want to show him her arm, so he respected her wishes and slung his legs over the opposite side of the bed. He took his time pulling his boots on while listening to Fleur wash away the old bandaging and replace it with new. "Tea, anyone?" he asked, reaching over to make himself a cup while they finished.

"Yes, please," said Hermione, her words ending in a hiss as Fleur applied fresh Murtlap. "One sugar, please, and just a little milk."

"Certainly," Sirius replied. "Fleur, my darling, what about you? Fancy a cuppa?"

"Non, Seerius, merci," came Fleur's throaty response. She finished with Hermione's arm and dropped the soiled bandages on the tray. "You should try to eat somezing, 'ermione," she said, nodding to the second tray with the soup.

"I will, Fleur. Thank you so much," Hermione said, smiling at the blonde. Fleur smiled back and left the room.

"Here we are, kitten," Sirius said, turning back around and handing her her tea. "Would you like that soup closer? Supper in bed?"

Hermione chuckled. "No, Sirius. Do you - do you think we could go downstairs? I'm tired of this room," she said.

"Sure we can go downstairs!" Sirius replied, glad she was willing to see people and be a part of things. "Do you need help walking?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so, but could you levitate the tray?"

"Of course. Take this blanket with you, wrap yourself up." He flicked his wand at the tray and it floated a few inches above the table while he waited for her to get her bearings. She could walk, but she looked weak, so he moved to her and hooked her arm in his for stability. He didn't want her falling down the stairs. They made their way slowly down to the sitting room where Harry was talking to Bill. They both smiled at seeing Hermione up and about and Harry moved over so she could have the end of the couch.

"I should probably be heading out soon," Sirius said, moving an end table in front of Hermione so he could set the food tray down on it. "Is there anything anybody needs or wants? Anything I need to tell anybody?" he asked the room at large. Heads shook in the negative, so he shook Bill's hand and gave Harry a hug before summoning his jacket.

"Sorry for keeping you so long," Hermione said, batting Sirius' hand away as he ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I wasn't busy. I'll visit in a few days, okay?"

"Anytime, Sirius," Bill said.

Sirius headed out through the kitchen to the back door, saying goodbye to Fleur on the way. As he stepped out onto the back porch, he spied Ron sitting alone in the far corner. He was hunched over, bracing his elbows on his knees and glaring at the floor as though it had offended him personally.

"Hey," Sirius greeted, pulling on his jacket. "I'm heading out. Is there anything you want or need? Any message you want me to take to anyone?"

Ron lifted his head and Sirius was surprised to see the absolute fury on his face. But then Ron blinked, and it was gone.

"Sirius," he said, as though just realizing the other man was there.

"You okay, mate?" Sirius asked.

The redhead looked briefly confused, then he shook himself. "Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just... you know... about Hermione and all."

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. I take it you were there?"

"Only for the last bit. It's a pity Dobby didn't kill Bellatrix," he said, more to himself than to Sirius.

"Bella?" Sirius asked sharply. "What does she have to do with anything? Was she there?"

"Well - yeah," Ron said, the look of confusion returning. "Didn't... didn't Harry tell you?"

"No. Bill told me Hermione had been tortured, but nobody went into details. Did Bellatrix hurt her?" Sirius practically growled.

Ron sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair before answering. "After several rounds of the Cruciatus, Bellatrix took a cursed dagger and carved the word 'mudblood' into Hermione's arm," he said matter-of-factly. "Bill says it'll never heal properly. She'll have that scar the rest of her life." He hung his head again.

"Fuck," Sirius swore. "FUCK!" Swinging around, he kicked the side of the house in anger. Now he knew why Hermione shielded her injury from him. He had half a mind to march back into the house and see the cursed wound for himself, but he knew that would only infuriate him further and likely scare her in the process. Her nerves were already frayed.

Hands on his hips, Sirius took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. It didn't help much. Then Ron spoke again.

"I left them, did you know that?" he asked, staring off into the distance. His voice was hollow. "I... we were doing... stuff, and... it got... hard... too hard... and I hadn't heard anything about the family and... and I left. We fought and I left. I fucking _left_ ," he forced out, his words catching.

Sirius was quiet for a minute. "I don't know precisely what it is you're on about, mate, since Harry won't tell me what you're doing, but... you went back, right? I mean, you're here now, so you must have done."

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "Yeah, I went back. Harry and I - we made up, but... Hermione... I don't know, it's still... "

"She used the word 'weird'," Sirius threw out.

"'Weird' is good, that's a good word," agreed Ron immediately.

Sirius clapped Ron on the shoulder. "Give it time, Ron," he advised. "Let's get through the war first, then you can work on the weirdness, yeah?"

Ron nodded slowly, then frowned as though he'd just thought of something. "How's Remus?"

Sirius laughed. "He's fine. Tonks is massive. I'm surprised she can still walk seeing as she looks like she swallowed a Quaffle," he said and Ron gave a half-grin. "They're doing all right. I'm sure Moony will lose his shit when the baby comes - and it's due any day now, but for now everything's good."

"Do they know if it's a boy or girl?"

"No. Tonks wanted to be surprised and Remus is pretty much going along with whatever she says right now. Sap," Sirius added with a chuckle.

Ron's lip quirked up. "How's everyone else?"

"Oh, as well as can be. The world is pretty much shit at the moment, Ron. Can't wait for this fucking war to be over finally. I feel like I've been fighting it my whole life. Honestly, I don't know what I'll do when we get through this. I won't know how to cope," Sirius said, only half-joking.

"I'm sure Jeannie'll help you," Ron teased lightly.

"Ha! Yeah, " he agreed, trying not to let Ron see the darkness in his mind.

Jeannie.

Things weren't great with Jeannie. Nothing really had been said and certainly nothing had happened, but there was a break somewhere between them. Sirius couldn't put his finger on it, but there was a divide, a chasm, and it was getting wider every day. Ever since Dumbledore's death, Jeannie had been... quiet about certain things. She didn't want to talk about Snape's betrayal, she didn't want to talk about Draco Malfoy - the boy she was adamant about defending.

Sirius could see there was a lot going on in her head about both things, but she wouldn't go into it, and he didn't like it. He did want to talk about it. He wanted to talk and yell and shout and rage about it, but every time he brought up Dumbledore, the war or - Merlin forbid - the Greater Good, Jeannie would shut down or simply change the subject. More than once she'd actually seduced him out of having a conversation.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Black," came a soft voice behind him. Sirius turned to see a young, blonde girl come out of the house, an old man with her, leaning on her arm.

"Luna, hello," he greeted her mildly. "How are you?" he asked, noting the bruises - some old, some relatively fresh - on her face and the uncovered portions of her arms.

"Very well, considering," she said matter-of-factly. "Thank you for asking. Mr. Ollivander and I are going to take a walk around the property. Would you like to join us?"

"No, thank you, Luna. I need to get back," he said, then looked closer at the man with Luna. "Mr. Ollivander! Glad to see you're still with us, old man."

"Young Mister Black," Ollivander greeted. "Ebony, eleven and one-quarter inches, pliable. Also, Red Oak, eleven and one-quarter inches, rigid." He grinned tiredly. "Perhaps not quite so old yet."

Sirius chuckled. "No. Anyone who can make it through the way you have still has plenty left in them, eh?"

"I certainly hope so," Ollivander said. "The last thing I want is to bore lovely young ladies who choose to spend their valuable time with me." He patted Luna's arm and gave her a warm smile.

"You make the time spent valuable, Mr. Ollivander," Luna replied sweetly, then nodded at Sirius and Ron before leading the old man gently down the steps and into the backyard.

Sirius sighed. "Alright. I really do need to head out now. See you in a few days, Ron," he said.

"Will - will you tell Mum we're okay? And… that I love her?"

Sirius nodded. "Sure thing."

"Thanks."


	67. Enter The Cub

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I know it has been literally forever and a day since I updated, and there is no good reason for it except my total and complete lack of inspiration. We're actually not too far from the end but, for whatever reason, I've just had no feel for this story lately. I don't know why, but I hope that changes. This chapter is a bit maudlin, but we do get to meet Teddy :)
> 
> Happy Birthday to my beautiful soulmate, SableUnstable! I love you!
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. I own nothing, anything recognizable belongs to the lovely Ms. Rowling.

"Remus, get out!"

"No, I can help - "

"Dammit, Remus, I said _get out!_ "

Remus winced at the shrill quality of his wife's voice, and he had half a mind to argue some more, but her eyes were flashing in a way he'd never seen before and when Lily was in labor, she'd quite literally thrown James out of the room with what she later said was 'accidental' magic, but Remus had never been sure…

He turned to leave. "Okay."

"Probably best, dear," Molly told him, patting him on the back as he shuffled out the door. "It's going to get worse before it gets better and we don't need two unstable people in the room."

"I am _not_ unstable!"

"Of course you're not, dear," Molly told Tonks, "but if he doesn't leave, he's going to make you unstable, isn't he?"

Remus waited for Dora to take exception to the redhead's condescending tone, but she just pouted and nodded, looking pointedly at him while Andromeda and Jeannie fussed with her pillows. The werewolf shook his head. He'd never felt more out of his depth than at that moment.

"How am I - " he began.

_"Remus!"_

"Alright, alright!" He stepped out of the room. "Leaving now," he said, watching Molly give him a sympathetic smile before closing the door in his face.

Not knowing what else to do, he simply stood there, staring at the closed door. A snort came from behind him and he spun around, forgetting that Sirius was there.

"She needs me," Remus said.

Sirius shook his head. "She doesn't."

"She might."

"Nope."

"But how can you be sure?!"

"Moony. Mate," Sirius said, opening the bottle of firewhisky he'd brought and pouring them both generous helpings. "There are four witches in that room. Four of the strongest witches you and I have ever known, and two of whom have given birth before. They know what they're doing." He handed Remus a glass.

"I don't want that."

"Indulge me."

Remus huffed and snatched the glass, downing it in one go, then handed it back to Sirius and resumed his door-watching. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he shrugged it off, but it returned, and this time he let it lead him to the armchair by the fireplace. The spot had an unobstructed view of his and Dora's bedroom door and he shot Sirius a grateful half-smile.

"It's going to be all right, Remus."

* * *

 

"Right," Molly said, all business once the door clicked closed, "let's get that baby out of you!"

"Oh, gods," Tonks moaned.

"Hey, we haven't started yet," Jeannie teased, taking her place by her friend and grabbing her hand.

Andromeda brushed mousy-brown hair from her daughter's forehead and gazed lovingly at her. "You're doing brilliantly, my love," she cooed. "You're being so strong. This is going to be over before you know it."

Meanwhile, Molly was arranging things around the bed and getting herself settled. She instructed Tonks to sit up, giving Jeannie a chance to shove a few pillows behind her back, and then she told Tonks to spread 'em and bend 'em. The poor witch groaned again as her best friend and her mother hauled her into the most humiliating position she'd ever been in and grit her teeth when she felt Molly push the sheet up, exposing all.

"Okay, dear," Molly said. "You're contractions are getting closer. Just sit tight and I'll tell you when you can start pushing."

"Soon, I hope," Tonks replied, ending in a grimace as another contraction hit. " _Ahhhh…_ "

"Right on time," Molly reported, and Tonks could feel her poking around below. "Alright, dear, when the next one hits, push with all you've got."

* * *

 

An anguished cry filtered through the door, causing Remus to jump and drop the glass Sirius had refilled for the third time. The animagus swore quietly and flicked his wand, cleaning up the spilt whisky and summoning the glass to himself.

"Fuck," Remus muttered, leaping to his feet and pacing jerkily back and forth across the room. "I can't do this, Sirius. I can't - can't - "

"It's a bit late for doubt, mate," Sirius replied calmly, rolling his eyes when Remus spun around to glare at him. "Remus, the child is here - or, will be shortly. Are you going to do everything right? Probably not. Does that mean you're going to be a shit father? _Absolutely_ not."

"I might. I might be terrible at it!"

"I won't allow it."

Remus stared. "Promise? Swear it, Sirius! You won't let me make a hash of this?"

Sirius looked him in the eye. "Remus, I swear it. As though you'd be allowed to fail, anyway. Your wife will get to you long before I do. Have a bit of faith in her, mate."

"I do!"

"Then do the sensible thing and let her make all the decisions," Sirius suggested calmly. "She hasn't led you wrong, yet, has she?"

Remus sighed heavily. "No," he admitted, resuming his pacing, but without the frantic nervous energy of before.

_Faith._ He needed to have faith. When he'd been a small boy, faith had taken the form of his mother. Hope Lupin had loved her son unconditionally, especially after his attack. Remus' father had loved him as well but, even as a child, Remus could read the guilt and pain in the man's eyes when he looked at his son.

When Dumbledore visited one day and told the family Remus could go to school, proper school, his image of faith had briefly morphed into the Headmaster, but that was quickly replaced by it taking the form of his three new friends. His _first_ friends. Especially after their second year, and their pledge to stick by him, no matter how furry he became.

It stayed that way until James and Lily died. At that point, Remus lost faith completely. His mother had passed away shortly after his graduation - he secretly believed she had willed herself to live long enough to see him finish school - and now three of his closest loved ones were dead, and the fourth was in prison, responsible for all of it. Or, so he'd believed.

The next ten years were spent in the wilderness, moving from job to job, from town to town, making sure not to stay too long. Remus lived among muggles as much as possible. Werewolves didn't exist for muggles, so he was less concerned they would suspect him of being something they didn't even believe in. The only real danger was getting fired for taking too many 'sick' days.

And then, after a decade, several things happened in quick succession.

First, Lyall Lupin died. While fond of his father, Remus had never been able to get close to him as he had his mother, but he still mourned the man's passing. There was no funeral to speak of, just Remus making sure Lyall was buried next to Hope. She had become fond of the small church in the town nearest the Lupin's cottage, and had wished to be buried there, so Lyall had made arrangements for plots for both of them years before.

After that, Remus moved back into his parent's cottage and, just a few months later, Albus Dumbledore had come knocking. The old man who had once represented hope and faith, now resembled pain and loss, and Remus was hesitant initially to accept the teaching post offered. It was only when Dumbledore explained why he was needed that Remus took the professorship, and faith once again changed it's shape.

Harry.

Harry had faith in Remus, but Harry didn't know that he _was_ faith _to_ Remus. Faith personified. Broken, damaged, persecuted, kept in the dark… but still kind, generous, capable, and willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, willing to fight for what he thought was right.

Then Remus met Nymphadora. Clumsy, bubbly, and smart-mouthed, Tonks was a bright flash of colour in a rapidly greying world. He had tried, desperately, to keep his distance but, like a magnet to steel, they had been drawn to each other time and time again, and faith took it's current form.

His love, his wife, and now the mother of his child…

Remus suddenly snapped to attention as a new noise was heard from the bedroom. He spun to face the still-closed door, transfixed by the sound of his newborn child voicing displeasure at entering the world. Vaguely, Remus was aware of Sirius standing and coming up behind him, but all of his senses were attuned to what was going on just beyond the flimsy barrier of bedroom door.

He didn't remember his feet moving but, several minutes later when Molly opened the door to call him, Remus found himself standing just inches away from her. She looked up, startled, but then moved aside to let him in. He didn't move at first, afraid to enter the inner sanctum of new life, but Sirius' hand squeezed his shoulder and he took a deep breath, then stepped over the threshold.

"Wotcher," Tonks greeted him hoarsely. She was propped up on the bed, leaning against more pillows than Remus remembered there being in the entire house. Her hair was a very pale blue and she looked exhausted, but pleased. His eyes roamed her face and she gave him a tired smile. "Well, come on, then. Come and meet your son."

Remus didn't move. Sirius sighed and shared an amused but exasperated look with Jeannie, and gave his oldest friend a push. The werewolf stumbled, but got the hint, and walked over to his wife, kneeling beside the bed. Tonks drew back the blanket to reveal a tiny, purple, slimy baby latched onto her left nipple and sucking greedily. Remus stared as though he'd never seen anything like it before and Tonks chuckled.

"Your eyes are amber," she told him, reaching out to stroke his hair.

"I'm sorry," Remus apologized immediately.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless, is what you are," she told him fondly. "Here, Molly, can you bathe him? I think he's had enough tit for now."

"Of course, dear," Molly said, getting things ready for the baby's first bath. Andromeda gently lifted him from Tonks' chest and Remus' eyes followed every single movement until Tonks' fingers made their way back to his hair.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you, too," she replied, puckering her lips for kiss. He obliged. "Sweetheart, can I - would you mind if I named him?" she asked.

"Please do," he said at once. "Anything you like. I don't care. Anything you want."

Tonks laughed tiredly. "How long are you going to be in this agreeable mood?" she teased. "I want to name him after Dad. And after you. Edward Remus Lupin. Teddy, for short."

"Teddy," Remus repeated. "That's a fine name."

"We'll have to get him a bear," Sirius said quietly to Jeannie when she walked over to him.

Jeannie grinned. "A teddy bear?" Sirius nodded and they chuckled.

"Remus, why don't you sit on the bed next to Tonks," Molly suggested, swaddling the newly-washed Teddy, "and I'll bring him to you."

"Will you have enough room if I sit on the bed?" Remus asked his wife.

Tonks nodded and patted the covers next to her. "Of course I will. Now get up here."

Remus obeyed, settling himself carefully next to her as Molly walked up to him. The redheaded matriarch gave him a big smile as she presented him with a bundle.

"Remus, meet Teddy. Teddy, meet your Daddy," she said, gently transferring the bundle to Remus.

Remus cradled his son in the crook of his arm and gazed down at the new life. As he watched, Teddy opened his eyes and looked up at him. The tiny orbs were blue, but as the two stared at each other, the blue bled into amber and Remus broke.

"What?! What's wrong?!" Tonks exclaimed.

"He's like you!" Remus nearly shouted. "His eyes just changed colour! Oh, gods! Thank you, Dora! Thank you so much!" he sobbed.

Tonks couldn't help it, she burst out laughing at her husband's relieved bawling. "You're welcome, love," she gasped out, leaning over slightly to get a look. Teddy looked at her and the roots of his hair turned blue. Tonks beamed and stroked his head. "What a clever boy, Teddy!"

* * *

 

Hours later, after Teddy had been passed around and gushed over, and Remus had returned from Bill's to give them the good news, Sirius and Jeannie went home. Flopping onto the sofa, Jeannie rested her feet on the coffee table while Sirius went into the kitchen to make tea. Handing her a steaming cup, he sat next to her, put his feet up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Jeannie snuggled into him. "I've never been at a birth before," she said. "I mean, I've been there just after, but I've never sat through the pushing and the screaming and the mess before. I think my hand's bruised."

She held up the hand Tonks had gripped during the last stages. There were several areas turning blue and Sirius placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles and summoned a jar of bruise paste. He set his cup down and massaged the paste into her skin, watching as the discolouration faded.

"Better?" he asked, and she nodded. "I was there for Harry's birth. I would have tried to be there when Andy had Tonks, but she'd had to keep everything quiet, so I didn't even know she'd been pregnant until Tonks was several months old."

"Was she really in that much danger?" Jeannie asked.

"Andy? Oh, yeah. My family shunned her, but her family… well, Cissy I think would have tolerated it if Lucius hadn't been a Death Eater because she and Andy had been close, but Bella would have killed her given the chance."

Jeannie snuggled in closer, tired from the day's events. "What was Harry's birth like?"

Sirius smiled fondly. "Beautiful," he said in that wistful tone he only used when talking about James and Lily. "Lily had been really lucky in her pregnancy. Other than some morning sickness and the occasional weird craving, she'd had it easy, but the last day and a half before Harry was actually born was hell. She ended up in labor for nearly twelve hours - "

"Merlin."

"Yeah. She kept laying down, then getting up again, pacing up and down, eating ice chips… then the contractions would start again and she'd lay down…" He laughed. "It was terrible, but once she was actually able to start pushing, everything went really quickly and suddenly there was this squalling little purple creature with stupid hair waving his fists in the air as the Medi-witch held him…"

"Were all of you there?"

Sirius hummed an affirmative. "It was one of the last times we were together. Lily fed him, then the Medi-witch gave him a bath and handed him to James. They cooed over him for a bit, and then James handed him to me." He sighed and kissed the top of Jeannie's head. "I want this war to be over so fucking bad, baby. I feel like I've been fighting it my whole fucking life."

"I know," Jeannie replied. "Me, too." She flicked her wand at their empty cups, sending them back to the kitchen. "Come on, let's go to bed."

* * *

 

It was the beginning of May, and Sirius and Jeannie were having a fight. It was a fight they'd had before. Several times. Standing in the kitchen of the house they shared, separated by the small table in the middle of the room, they shouted the same things to each other they'd been shouting for months.

" _Why_ do you insist on defending him?!" Sirius demanded.

"I'm _not_ defending him! I'm just saying that I think there's more to the story!" Jeannie shouted back.

"There is no story!" Sirius insisted. "The man killed Dumbledore! Murdered him in cold blood! _End_ of story!"

Jeannie threw her hands up. "And when, in all the time you knew Albus Dumbledore, was it ever _that fucking simple?!_ "

Sirius opened his mouth to answer, but a voice shouted at him from his pocket.

"Sirius! Are you there?!"

Sirius whipped out the mirror. "I'm here, Harry! What's going on?"

"It's time, Sirius," Harry said. "This is the end. Call the Order."

Sirius' fingers tightened on the mirror. "Where?"

"Hogwarts."

"We're on our way."

Harry's face disappeared and Sirius and Jeannie looked at each other. "You go to Andromeda's and Shell Cottage," Sirius said, "and I'll check the Burrow for Molly and Arthur."

Jeannie nodded. "If they're not there, try Muriel's. They sometimes stay there." Sirius nodded and turned to leave. "Sirius!" He looked back at her. Jeannie swallowed thickly. "Be careful."

Silver eyes bored into hers. "You too," he said, and was gone.

Jeannie heard the back door open and close and the _crack!_ of apparition. Hanging her head, she took a deep breath to pull herself together, and then followed him. Apparating to Andromeda's first, she stayed just long enough to see Remus kiss his wife and son goodbye, and hear Andromeda promise to keep Tonks at the house, before heading to Bill's to get him and Fleur.

It was dark by the time they got to Hogsmeade, and by the sound of numerous Caterwauling Charms going off all over the village, they weren't the first. Taking a chance, they abandoned stealth, instead choosing to sprint to Aberforth's where they knew he had a way into the castle.

They went into the pub, through a portrait hole, and down a tunnel that seemed to go on forever before coming out in a part of the castle Jeannie had never been. Looking around, she saw the rest of the Order and a bunch of kids she assumed were students hiding out from Snape's authority. By the look of the space, many of the students had been living there for some time.

In the center of the room stood Harry, Ron and Hermione. Sirius was standing in front of Harry as though waiting for an order.

"Well," Sirius said. "What's the plan, Harry?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Many thanks to those of you still reading! I wanted to get the final battle (next chapter) done for the anniversary, but obviously that didn't happen. Ah, well, it'll be done when it's done.
> 
> Thanks, Worthfull1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: I'm not going to apologize for ending on a cliffhanger. The next chapter will be posted shortly, so you won't have to wait long. Also, I wanted to get you hooked. Please let me know what you think. This is my first time, after all.
> 
> Thank you, Worthfull1
> 
> P.S. Did you enjoy Sirius' cameo?


End file.
